she is your have to have
by cyclothimic
Summary: Kara was just a goddess who wanted to live among the mortals and escape her Olympian responsibilities as much as possible, and she was doing exactly that, until she was ordered by her father - Zeus - to handle a rogue demon. However, Kara did not expect for one thing to throw a wrench - a big one - in her plans, which was the demon's sister: Lena Luthor.
1. frost did, however, bite at her heart

**i've wanted to write something since the whole sdcc shenanigan, but i've been a little too busy with college and work that i couldn't. and then i had to watch the supercorp fanfiction writers all dying away, which i totally understand, but _what the fuck guys you can't let them take us down like that honestly get it together_ **

**anyway, so now that i've had some time, and i've always wanted to write something related to greek mythology because i'm unhealthily obsessed with it despite being an atheist, here comes this load of crap that i spent more time than i should to research. even after all that research, i'm not surprised if y'all find this filled with flaws, but i did my best guys i did my best oh my god give me a break**

 **anyway, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Bourbon.

She had never liked it. She found it distasteful, too much of a burn at the back of her throat, and it was shrewd. Never in her life had she understood why human beings found this particular drink pleasurable. After all, given her immortality and her many wanderings on this realm, she had had many a chance to get a taste of the many different alcoholic liquids that had surfaced, thanks to the mortals' need for escapism and endless imagination.

The point was: she didn't like bourbon.

And yet, here she was, sitting at a common pub in the middle of what they now call National City, drinking bourbon. Not because she wanted it, no, but because this damn pub seemed to have run out of other viable alcoholic drinks. As she took another sip, she grimaced, wondering how on Earth these people managed to keep themselves afloat when they couldn't even provide tasteful drinks.

She didn't know what she was doing here. She was minding her own business, keeping her identity low profile as she maneuvered her way through this mortal realm, escaping from her responsibilities at _home_ as much as possible. And then, mind you, she came home and found a message laid out on her counter, informing her of a need to meet at this godforsaken pub.

She hated it when her considerably peaceful and routine life was interrupted, so she was of half the mind to not even come here. But when she was granted permission to descend, that permission came with one condition, which was that she would have to fulfill her duties if the situation called for it.

She could only hope that this task wouldn't be…well, too tasking.

It was when she was about to order another glass that she felt that familiar presence, and she couldn't help but scoff at her father's tricks. Yes, she could easily sense a fellow divine being within a hundred miles, but this presence was stronger, only because she grew up with this presence. And the fact that her father needed to send _her_ could only mean that this wouldn't be easy.

Pretending she didn't know, she ordered another glass of bourbon with much reluctance, while devising ways in her head to try to get out of this. He made her promise to fulfill her duties no matter what, but that didn't mean she couldn't negotiate. And if there was anything she had learned during her time in this realm, it was to negotiate.

"Kara." She sighed. Here it was. She turned to see a red-headed woman, dressed in casual clothing standing behind her. The woman then slid onto the stool next to her and smirked as she commented, "Thought you hated that thing."

Kara scoffed again. "I also hate it when people barge into my house without my permission, Alex, but look where we are," she threw back in annoyance, though not without an inflection of adoration. The woman in front of her had to be the _one_ thing she missed the most about home. Of course, given that she and Alex had pretty much grown up through their childhood, she knew that Kara wasn't angry at _her_ , in particular. Kara sighed, twisting the glass in her fingers. "What does he want?"

Echoing her sigh, Alex raised a hand at the bartender and pointed at the glass of bourbon in Kara's hand, and then she turned to the woman she viewed as a sister, even though it was a consensus that the blonde was much stronger than she was. "I'm sorry, Kara. I wouldn't have come if it wasn't necessary."

The blonde only smirked, bringing the edge of her glass to her lips and taking a small sip. _God_ , she really hated this stuff. "I bet he's not as sorry as you are." When Alex didn't say anything for the next ten seconds – she counted – her smirk widened. "Sometimes, I really wish I'm just a mortal." She put down her glass and returned Alex's gaze. "There's really no way out of this." It wasn't much of a question as it was a statement. Both of them knew well enough that there was no way Kara could get out of this.

"I'll help you."

"I'll need to know what I will need help with," Kara replied.

Alex smiled at the bartender when he put her glass of bourbon in front of her. Kara watched as she drank it, and smiled when she grimaced. "How do people drink this stuff?"

Kara chuckled. "The many wonders of human beings," she commented.

Alex muttered something under her breath, and while Kara could easily hear other people due to the fact that they were mortals, she couldn't hear Alex, because she was _not_ a mortal. And then the red-headed woman looked up at her. "Hades has done it again."

"What exactly did he do?"

It wasn't exactly a secret that Kara liked her uncle. She made the mistake of exploring the Underworld when she was a child, and to her surprise, instead of punishing her, Hades brought her to a tour around his world, explaining the workings and rules, and he even extended an invitation for her to visit him anytime.

While her father was known to dislike his brother very much – otherwise he wouldn't have made him in charge of such a gruel world – Kara never did adhere to the unspoken rule that said everyone in the Otherworld was to never build an acquaintanceship with Hades, and went and did _exactly_ that.

Alex never did understand why, and Kara was tired of explaining.

How could she explain that Hades was not as cruel as everyone thought? How could she explain the exhaustion in his eyes when he had to judge every time a new soul came? How could she explain the utter light and love that replaced the exhaustion whenever he saw his wife? How could she explain that his only will to survive in that world was the woman who had to leave his side every two seasons?

"We got word that he's sent someone to this realm," Alex answered.

"By someone, you mean a demon." When Alex nodded in affirmation, she continued, "and by getting word, you mean Hermes." At least Alex had the decency to look sheepish. "That son of a bitch can never keep his mouth shut."

"Don't let the Almighty hear you say that," the red-headed woman quipped.

"Please," Kara scoffed. "As if he ever loves his children."

"Don't let him hear you say that either."

Kara shrugged in nonchalance. "Hades sends people here all the time. He's never needed someone like..." She tightened her grip around her glass as she watched the swirls circling the walls. " _I_ was never needed to take care of it," she changed tact. "So why now?"

"This one isn't any common demon. From what Hermes told us, he was always a wild card, even in the Underworld. Hades had always kept an eye on him – seems that he's only been keeping an eye on this one because he's saving him for a goal. And now, her father's brother dear has sent him to the mortal realm, doing god knows what."

The blonde's brows furrowed. That didn't seem like Hades. From what she learned of him over the years she had spent with him, the God of Death had always tried to keep out of everybody's business, unless his presence was necessary. Otherwise, the Almighty could be holding a birthday party, and Hades would kindly decline the invitation. There would be no reason for him to just send over an envoy.

"Hermes told you nothing else?" Kara asked.

"You know how he is. He's never been loyal to anyone, and he's always asking for something in return. And the Almighty is not willing to succumb," Alex grumbled, shaking her head in irritation at the ruler of Olympus. "Which is why he sent me over to tell you that he needs you to take care of this. Find out what the demon is up to, and stop him."

"Do I even get a name?"

"It seems that he's picked up the name of Alexander Luthor."

* * *

" _Kiera_."

She stumbled on her feet, easily regaining her footing, and hurried over to Cat Grant's office. Never mind that she was a goddess, she didn't think that even her father himself would be so brave as to spite Cat Grant's wrath.

And well, she would really like to keep her job and try to live as normal a life as she could, while also trying to fulfill her mission and get her father out of her hair as soon as possible. So, the lesser she pissed her boss off, the better.

"Yes, Miss Grant," she said meekly, pinching the bridge of her glasses up her nose – a nervous tic that she had _made_ herself develop to throw off suspicion.

"I know I gave you an office, but you will be sorely mistaken if you think that you can simply take advantage of my generosity like that," Cat drawled in that lazy voice of hers, as if she could do much better than be sitting in the largest of what was literally the tallest building in National City. Kara blinked, failing to understand what she had missed. "I haven't seen an article from you in three days, Kiera."

"Oh, um, I –"

Well, she couldn't very tell her boss that she'd been spending the past three days researching everything she could on Alexander Luthor, making her slack on her duty as a journalist. It could safely be said that Alexander 'Lex' Luthor wasn't a hard man to find, given that his name seemed to be splashed across the front pages of every single technology- and business-related publication known to man.

"Don't stutter, Kiera. It is uncomely. Now, let me throw you a bone here. Lex Luthor has just landed in National City two hours ago, and he's holding a press conference in an hour."

Kara's eyes widened. This wasn't just a simple bone. This was the _golden_ bone. She had been brainstorming ways to get close to Lex Luthor without revealing her identity and seeming too suspicious, and it was as if Cat could sense it.

She nodded with a quiet murmur of supplication before turning to head out the door, readying herself to find out what exactly it was about Lex Luthor that caused her father to need to summon her.

It was easy to bring back the personality of whom she used to be – a bubbly, happy go lucky, and generally optimistic goddess that pretty much everyone liked. The fact that Hades didn't so much as smite her for barging into his home said a lot about her likability – or what used to be her likability. It was easy to pretend that she was still that person, especially in front of Cat Grant, that girl who could never seem to pause her mind to give herself and other people a break from her thoughts, that girl who was too interested in everything, and that girl who _believed_.

She might have changed – she _couldn't not_ – but she had also seen enough and lived long enough to understand the importance of acting when the situation called for it. If one didn't know her any better, they would probably think that the famous Kara Zor-El of the before was still the same Kara Zor-El of the now. She never set out to destroy that belief.

If people were still lookingto her name to seek for somegoodness in this world, then who was she to destroy that dream?

* * *

"Kara."

She jumped, closing the door of the cab harder than needed. And lo and behold, it seemed that Kal had decided that being a cab driver was an ideal occupation for today. She lowered her hand from her chest, and then went on to glower at her cousin.

"Shouldn't you be at the sea? Swimming with mermaids or something?" she grumbled. She had had enough familial visits to last her at least a year, or preferably a lifetime. "Your dad wouldn't be too happy to know that you're here."

Kal's eyes twinkled at her attempt of poking fun at his origin. But then he went back to seriousness in a matter of seconds. He revved up the engine of the cab he had probably stolen or something, and joined the cars milling about National City. It didn't escape her notice that he seemed to know where she needed to go, judging by how he weaved in and out of familiar intersections.

"Why are you here?" she asked cautiously, catching his eyes in the mirror.

"I know about Lex," he simply said. She tilted her head. This just kept getting more and more interesting. "And I know that the Almighty pretty much dropped the kill order on him if needed." She stayed mum, waiting for Kal to explain the actual reason he was here. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"You can't kill him."

She raised her brows, more in surprise rather than disbelief. She had never planned on killing Lex Luthor, or doing anything to cause him unnecessary pain. However, judging by the way she had behaved ages ago when Ares wreaked havoc across mankind, she could hardly be surprised that Kal thought she would be capable of such things.

It wasn't as if she had a choice, but it wasn't as if anyone would understand. The things she did, the lengths she had to go to, the irrepressible anger that had burned in her chest, the sorrow that had rose at the sight of watching those mortals suffer because of Ares' jealousy – she couldn't just anything to anyone, not even Alex, which was why she chose to get away from all of them when it was all over, and heal among mankind.

"Why not?" She and her cousin were close, but regrettably not as close as she was with Alex. And she was rather curious as to why Kal would risk Poseidon's temper just to talk to her about a mere demon.

Her gaze darted to his hand, which had tightened ever so slightly over the steering wheel. When Alex had left that night, she had resorted to finding out the purpose of Lex Luthor's emergence into this realm, and bring him to punishment if need be. She didn't care much about his attachments, but now, it seemed that Kal had some attachment to the demon.

"I'm –"

At his hesitation, she cut in, "Kal, I'm under orders here. And as much as I am his daughter, we all know that he's capable of murdering his own children if he wants to." God knew she had lost too many unnamed brothers and sisters because of her father's philandering lifestyle and his wife's jealousy that she hardly ever controlled. She could only be grateful that her mother was spared and he left them alone as much as possible.

"Lex isn't just a demon."

"That's what I've gathered. My father wouldn't have summoned me if he is _just_ a common demon," Kara replied, crossing her arms, her fingers ticking against the material of her button-up shirt.

"Kara, please."

Just then, he pulled up in front of the building that Lex Luthor was going to hold his press conference in. She uncurled her arms and shouldered her bag. Before she opened the door, she caught Kal's eyes in the mirror again. "Listen, I'm not going to kill him. Not yet," she added when she saw the hope in his eyes. "But you have to give me a reason as to why you don't want me to. I can't very well ignore an order from the Almighty himself just because you asked me to. It doesn't work like that. You know that better than anyone else, given who your father is."

He winced at the mention of his father, and she didn't feel sorry for him. After what Poseidon _almost_ did to her before the war, she wouldn't feel sympathy for the man, or anyone related to him. And then he sighed, nodding with resignation in his eyes.

"I suppose I'll see you soon," she noted with narrowed eyes.

He nodded again. "Yeah, I suppose you will."

She opened the door, throwing back a, "Don't be a stranger."

And then she slammed the door closed, but not before she heard him say, "I'm not the one who's become a stranger."

Well, what else could she do but smirkhumorlessly at that remark?

* * *

Kara had always been grateful that she had chosen CatCo Media to be the place for her to earn her keep in, and this was one of those times. It wasn't until she entered the building that she realized she didn't actually have an official press invitation to get in, but the CatCo tag that she had clipped onto her shirt had done the job for her, and she was shown her way in in no time.

She watched the people mill about, gossiping and chattering about everything and nothing. Quietly, she sneaked to one of the front rows and sat down, taking out her notebook and tuning out the noise around her as she took in everything around her.

One of the things that she didn't like about herself was that she didn't have the usual Olympian ability to be able to sense supernatural beings that were not Olympian – as the human so aptly called them – like her fellow people could. Somehow, her superior physiology, even when compared to other Olympians, had suppressed the sensors that were born into every other Olympian, hence she always had a hard time wondering if there was a demon or something or other wandering the surface of the Earth with her.

But that didn't mean that she couldn't hone in on her training and spot the dangerous points in the room. And so far, all she could see was that the room was big, filled with rows upon rows of chairs for the press members sit down on. There was a large screen looming upon them with the LexCorp logo twirling lazily in the middle, as if threatening them with some impending doom.

She would have been afraid, but this was nothing compared to what Ares did all those years. Speaking of, perhaps it was time for her to pay a visit to her dear sister, who was probably the one of the few sensible Olympians she could find.

"Hi."

She blinked and turned her head to see a woman sitting next to her, clad in a simple black shirt and blue blazer, paired with a pair of tight leather pants and a newsie hat. Kara blinked again, slower this time, when the woman lifted her eyes and met her gaze.

She had lived a long life. Almost five centuries in Olympus, and two more in the mortal realm. During her five centuries in Olympus, doing her father's bidding, and watching her mother fall in love with a mortal and descend herself, she had easily grown tired of the politics and the animosity in that world, which was why she was so keen on descending to the mortal realm and spend her time wondering why her mother would choose to come.

And she wasn't disappointed. Yes, the mortals were seeded with darkness in them – she couldn't quite blame them, not with Ares' long term existence while the gods and goddesses had to hide to heal. But the mortals were also the most beautiful creation that her father was smart enough to create, despite his many misgivings, and she saw new things every day, striking her with humanity's creativity and boundless imaginations.

However, in human's way of crafting history – even the Amazonian history – they always made her father out to be a benevolent god, someone who made no mistakes. It was one of the things she found extremely annoying and tried to steer away from as much as possible. He was only the ruler of Olympus, because he was lucky and he drew the long straw, nothing more to that. He was a philandering male with little to no respect to the women – be she goddess or mortal – and he made more mistakes than perhaps _all_ of the divine beings at the seas, the Olympus, and the Underworld.

Still, as she looked at the woman who had taken the liberty to sit next to her, Kara couldn't help but think that there was some truth to the humans' claim that her father did not make mistakes.

"I'm Lena."

Because Lena… _had_ to be the most beautiful creature she had ever come across in this realm.

* * *

 **listen i know kara is a bit ooc but bear with me because she's a goddess and she's seen things and i know she's supposed to be really optimistic but she's _seen things okay_ **

**i'll need you guys to point out any mistakes and tell me everything you know about greek mythology please please please i'm honestly not sure if i made any horrendous mistake that is entirely inaccurate in the greek mythology but also bear in mind that i have to tweak something to fit kara and lena into the story**

 **oh oh oh and even if there isn't any mistakes or if there is like i really wouldn't know - _anyway_ , do you guys like it? it's still the first chapter and i'm always really nervous about first chapters so please like if you do and maybe give me some comment because i'm always hungry for compliments **

**p.s. bless katie mcgrath for always being awesome and respectful the rest of the supergirl cast would never**


	2. the hero's shoulders

**hello hello! back at it again with the second chapter of the supercorp greek mythology au that nobody asked for! i will be switching between kara and lena's povs with each chapter, because they are each other's have to have. (geddit?) ((tell me you got it)) i will also try to update on a weekly basis, but you have to also understand that i have university, work, and a life to worry about, so there may be times where i will be late with my updates.**

 **also, _thank you so much for the comments and feedback_! they really pushed me to write more, believe it or not. please keep em coming! **

**now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Lena wasn't supposed to amount up to anything. Since her birth in the most unfortunate place in the universe as a creature that most people thought to be nonexistent or horrifying – there really was no in between – she had accepted that she wasn't going to mean much, except to be the guardian of the dead souls.

Perhaps it was because she was a hybrid; she somehow managed to become one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld. She possessed powers and abilities that most demons could only wish for. She had intellectual skills that had been discovered to surpass even her brother's – who was, once, declared to be among the top ten smartest beings in the Underworld. She belonged to the most abnormal family structure – if one could even call it a family – in the entire Sanctum.

When her parents' dalliance resulted in her, the Unseen One had gone through the efforts of not allowing it to spread anywhere else _but_ the Underworld. When she was birthed, he was present, and he was one of the first people to hold her, third only to her mother and her mother's helper. Her father was not there; her father was _never_ there until it was too late. When she grew up and the reaches of her capabilities were discovered, Hades had taken precautions to ensure no one knew of her.

"You need to be safe," he had said when she questioned him in pettiness, not once taking offense from her clear display of disobedience and insolence. "Zeus will not take to your presence easily if he knows of you, and I do not want to risk it – I do not want to risk _you_."

Since then, she never questioned him again. She stayed to one side of her identity, and became Cerberus' companion when she felt like it. It wasn't so much as a duty as it was a hobby, despite the fact that it being her duty was stated in the scrolls. But everyone with enough brains would know that the scrolls hid many secrets and told many lies.

Apart from her mother, Hades, and Persephone, Lex was the only one in her family who actually cared about her. Though being a demon himself, he could never express himself well, but she knew that he loved her.

He taught her how to balance her abilities, which were merged from two different entities in the Underworld. He taught her how to play chess, to such a point where she had outsmarted even him. He taught her how to hone her qualities, never jealous that she could count faster, understand better, and fight more effectively than him.

Most of all, he taught her that just because they were belong in the Underworld did not mean that they were not capable of love.

The evidence was apparent in his devotion to a human he encountered when he was wondering the common realm. She called herself Lana Lang, and Lena might have never met her, but she already found herself both liking and hating the woman.

For one, she brought out her brother's – for the lack of better word – humanity that Lena had never before seen, not even with herself. It was a fact that her brother was never morally aligned, always toeing between the lines with his actions, which brought him fame as a rogue in the Underworld. But this Lana, with only just one conversation, had managed to make Lex smile so brightly that it almost diminished the darkness that forever loomed over the Underworld.

However, there was also the fact that Lex was willing to go against his parents' wishes for him to ascend to his status and object to Hades' instructions to never have any lifelong dalliances with a commoner for this woman.

So much so that he was willing to drink the waters of Lethe just to illusion himself to become a mortal.

It was how she found herself here, in the mortal realm, disguising as a mortal, but keeping the identity of being Lex's sister.

She had never felt the desire to explore this realm. Not when she had the power to destruct this entire world if she wanted to; not when she had seen so much depravity and corruption that had leaked from their realm to hers; and not when she wasn't interested in seeing a mortal's life when she could hardly get her own together.

It only seemed right that her brother would be the only person capable of dragging her ass here. After all, with her tendency to be quiet and obscure, and his to be loud and lively, they were quite a renowned pairing famed to be attached at the hips in their world. It was truly quite a wonder that no one at the Mount of Olympus had caught wind of them – or just her – yet.

"He may have forgotten who he is or what he is, but an individual does not change easily. I allow his shenanigans here, because my wife and I can watch over him and ensure that he does not cross any boundaries. Now that he is up there, I need you to watch him for as long as you have to. Time passes differently between these two realms. Perhaps when he finally meets his end as a mortal, not much time will have passed here," Hades had imparted. "Lena, you know I never beg for anything, except for that time I met my wife. But now, I am pleading with you to let go of your inhibitions and be your brother's guardian."

He used to be her guardian. He used to be her tether in this realm, keeping her from going absolutely batshit crazy from having to control herself too much. He used to be _her brother_ , and not the man wandering the grounds of Earth, being a technology mogul pursuing a woman who would die eons before he did.

"I don't – I'm not sure if I can do what I can do now when I am among the mortals," she said, her voice staggering with uncertainty.

She didn't even have to say it, and the man she saw as more of a father than her own only smiled in understanding. Hades smiling, not many could witness it. "Lena, my dear –" he cupped her cheek gently in his palm, riddled with callouses from years and years of war "– you are truly a remarkable one." She frowned, failing to understand where he was going with this. "I have watched over you since you were born, making sure that you do not fall under the pressures your father and stepmother have put upon your shoulders. And you have never disappointed me, not once." And then his smile widened. "I believe in you, Lena. I believe in your strength, and it is time you believe in yourself."

Even after ages of her brother and the Underworld's leaders' guardianship, she still couldn't believe in herself. And yet this man, the _god_ who ruled this world ensconced in nothing but pain, chose to do exactly that.

So here she was, sitting in the audience, pretending that she had a history – one that she had crafted herself and led her temporarily mortal brother to believe – and preparing to get up on stage to be introduced to the mortals. Now that she was here, she couldn't help but wonder what it was about human beings that had fascinated him to such an extent that he was willing to abandon his roots.

Before she sat down, however, she could already sense that Lex wasn't the only omniscient presence in the room. She could someone else – an Olympian presence. It didn't take her long to locate them, and she maneuvered through the throngs of people, smiling as much as she could, before she sat down next to the golden haired woman.

When the woman looked up, Lena almost found herself at a loss for words. It wasn't an understated beauty. As a matter of fact, from what she had learned, this woman before her was the exact representation what beauty was supposed to be: golden silky curls pulled into a half ponytail, piercing eyes the color of electric blue, and a figure that any mortal woman would give anything for.

Lena had seen her fair share of beautiful people. Lena had bedded a fair share of beautiful people – men and women alike. So this woman before her – whatever she was supposed to be – shouldn't have struck her so much, and yet she did.

Perhaps that was it. Perhaps it was the fact that Lena could barely understand her own reaction that it was where the woman's beauty lied.

Quickly, she mustered a smile. "Hi, I'm Lena."

The woman only stared at her, almost as if she was in shock. And then it was only several seconds later that she literally shook her head and put on a smile, blinding in its own humility. "Hi." And then she offered nothing else.

Lena quirked a brow. "No name?"

"Oh!" The woman laughed abashedly and cleared her throat, lowering her gaze to a tag that rested midriff. She pulled it up and showed it to Lena. "Kara. I'm Kara Danvers. Of CatCo," she added.

Lena looked at her for a moment, taking her in with perplexity and wonder. If she was an Olympian – if there was Lena trusted anything about herself, it was her instinct – Kara should be able to sense that the dark haired woman sitting next to her wasn't a common human being as well. And yet here she was, smiling and talking to Lena as if she couldn't sense it at all.

She almost questioned Kara about it, but stopped herself. If Kara really couldn't detect that she was more than just human, it would be best if she left it. After all, Olympians and her kind were never on the best of terms.

"Nice to meet you, Kara," she simply relayed, offering her hand. She was catching on human customs quite speedily, if she could say so herself.

"Likewise, uh, Lena," Kara replied, taking her hand and shaking it.

Lena convinced herself that the jolt she felt when their skins touched was just an effect of two omniscient beings touching. She withdrew her hand without much pause and chose to put it on her lap.

Something in her told her that Kara Danvers – or whoever she may be – was going to play a significant role in her life ahead as a pretend mortal, and possibly more.

* * *

As expected of Lex, he loved to do things with grandeur. The conference commenced with the room darkening, the only light there was emitted from the huge screen behind the stage, playing out a slow animation of LexCorp's logo, accompanied by grand music, undoubtedly played by the band that he had hired under the stage.

If she didn't know any better, she would think that she was at the awards show that they deemed as the Academy Awards.

And then her brother came stepping out, dressed in an immaculate grey suit that clung to his figure. He was carrying a grin that lingered between smug and pride. He stopped at the podium, his hands clasping the edges.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he greeted with his commanding voice. The room erupted with applause, she and Kara contributing to it. Once the applause died down several minutes later, he began, "Thank you. Thank you. And welcome to the very first LexCorp event in National City! I promise you, there will be more to come!"

Lena, much as she wanted to keep her attention on her brother, could feel Kara shifting next to her, her pen unmoving on her notepad. It didn't take a genius to know that the blonde was wary, as if she was just waiting for something bad to happen. It was then that Lena realized Kara wasn't just here as a journalist; she was here to understand Lex.

She knew what Lex was.

Lena swallowed, moving further backward in her seat, her eyes darting between Kara and Lex. He was proceeding with his speech about the latest invention he had: the Airmaker – but she could barely hear him, not when the woman next to her was a potential threat to not only her brother but _her_ safety.

"The environment today is, for the lack of better word, dangerous. Carbon dioxide is taking up more and more space, and oxygen, while still existent, is bound to run out, if we do not take steps to save it. However, to save the world, we have to first save ourselves," Lex professed, waving one hand around. "This is why I am here: to announce that we have found one way to ensure that we will always have preserves of oxygen, even if it comes to the unfortunate case where we run out." He stood back from the podium and advanced to the middle of the stage in gradual steps, clicking on a remote he held in his hand, which prompted the screen behind him to switch to a prototype image of the device. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Airmaker." He grinned at the audience for a few seconds before his eyes began wandering, finding her easily, which prompted his grin to shift from smug to proud. "Now, let me introduce you to the person behind this idea, my sister: Lena Luthor!"

She almost didn't hear her name, because she couldn't stop staring at Lena – not because of attraction, but dread. Dreading that Kara actually _knew_ , but she was hiding it; dreading that her and her brother's presences had been discovered; dreading that Kara wasn't as innocent as she looked. Still, thankfully, Lena had long since grasped the ways of multitask.

She plastered on a smile when the spotlight moved from Lex on stage to her in the audience. As she advanced towards the stage, Kara's gaze burned into her back. The steps leading up to the stage were miniscule, so she was next to her brother not long after, taking the mic from his hand as she hugged him.

"Knock 'em dead, baby girl," he whispered into her ear.

"You bet I will," she answered with confidence. All eyes were on her now, as Lex stepped away from her to hide in the shadows behind him – ironic, really. "Bet you have never heard of me," were the first words she said, eliciting a round of chuckles.

And then she launched into a diatribe about the Airmaker, which was truly her idea. It was not difficult to grasp the mechanisms of science in this realm. After all, the progress was considerably slower than she had expected. When she started working with her brother, she was of half the mind to launch this world into a new age with her knowledgeable prowess in the field, but she remembered that she was only here to look after her brother and not change the here.

Be that as it may, it did not mean that she couldn't do some tweaks here and there.

The presentation occurred for twenty minutes. Kara's eyes stayed on her the whole time. Well, everyone's eyes were stuck on her, but there was something in the way the Olympian looked at her – something that Lena had yet to grasp. Seemed there was something more about humanity that she had to learn.

"I've kept myself in the dark for a reason." Because she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. "I don't want people to know that there is actually someone who's smarter than Lex." She could hear her brother's guffaw among the laughter that everyone was releasing. "However, I am ready to step out now, and my first step will be to establish my own space in this very city."

And then, as if he had always been there, Lex was standing beside her, managing to brandish another mic for himself. "We are bringing LexCorp to National City. Lena will be running this branch, and hopefully, more in the future."

It was as if they could sense that this was the end of the presentation, because everyone hurtled questions at her, throwing all kinds of queries in their direction. Thankfully, the host came on to stage and handled the situation, telling the press members that they were allowed to ask questions one by one, as long as they did it out any fuss.

Lena and Lex had learned skills of oratory since before they came to this realm, so they answered each and every question with ease and professionalism. And then it was Kara's turn to stand up, and Lena wasn't exactly surprised.

"Do you worry about the device landing in the wrong hands?" That look in her eyes was apparent enough in her doubt – she was thinking that the wrong hands might of the inventors themselves. "What if there are people who got ahold of your device and use it to release something other than oxygen?"

"Miss Danvers, you're speaking about bioterrorism," Lex retorted.

Without so much as a pause, Kara nodded. "Exactly." She shifted her gaze from Lex to Lena, pinning her down with heavy consternation. "We're all humans." The dark haired woman couldn't help but raise her brow. Tonight was just a night of irony, wasn't it? "And humans can be very creative in both good and bad ways. Who's to say no one leaning towards the latter will use your device for immoral purposes?"

It was difficult to not feel offended. The Airmaker came up with the idea of helping humanity, because in just twenty-four years – four days in her realm – it was already clear that these mortals needed saving, because they couldn't save themselves – not with their greed and selfishness. But Kara wasn't without a point. With greed and selfishness came wickedness, and Lena had seen enough in the Underworld to know that humans were very much capable of doing what she had just mentioned.

Before Lex could unleash his vex on Kara – she could already feel his agitation next to her – she placed her mic near her lips. "You are correct, Miss Danvers." Kara winced a little at her use of her last name. They were on first name basis just half an hour ago. "Humans are creative creatures, aren't we? But everything always comes with pros and cons. Democracy. The media. Hollywood. Even fried chicken. I'm not as vain as to claim that the Air maker comes without flaws, but I can assure you, Miss Danvers, that we will take every precautionary step to ensure that the Air maker will not be so easily tampered with, as you have mentioned, though I am certainly hopeful that people will see the good in this device and not take it for granted."

For several moments, Lena and Kara looked at each other, locked in a virtual battle. Though if it was up to her, she wouldn't call it a battle to begin with. In Kara's eyes, there still was anxiety, but there was also something else – something she recognized as lust.

And then Kara nodded, breaking eye contact. "Thank you, Mr and Miss Luthor." And then she sat down.

Lena was certain that this was just the beginning. But as they moved on, she primed at the idea that she was victorious this round.

* * *

Google was a useful tool; it was the mortals' versions of the scrolls, only much easier to search. Well, perhaps humans could be more advanced than the omniscient at certain things.

There wasn't much about Kara that she could find – an obvious sign that the woman was trying to make herself as invisible as possible. That came with immortality. Beings like her and Kara, they would raise suspicion if they stayed alive for too long and managed to keep the young faces they carried.

All Lena could find about Kara was that she was a journalist and she loved food. Her Facebook page was filled with videos of silly animals, and some articles about politics in America and National City. She had a sister, Alex, and Lena suspected that Alex wasn't much of a human either. Kara also rambled, apparent in her Facebook posts and Twitter threads.

The more she found about Kara, the more intrigued she became.

Which was why she sneaked a trip back home while her brother was asleep, hoping she could find answers. She was welcomed by Persephone.

"Ah, Lena, welcome home. I did not expect you to be back so soon."

Lena stepped into the goddess' welcoming arms. She missed home already. She missed Cerberus. She missed not having to worry about being discovered by the mortals. "I won't be back for long. I just have some questions."

Persephone released her from her embrace and they made their way towards a bench. "My husband is not here. He has an errand." Lena knew better than to ask. "But I will try to answer your questions." The woman fluttered her hand in the air gracefully. She did everything gracefully, even when she was angry and in the mood to drop punishment.

"Kara Danvers." Persephone's eyes lit with recognition at the name. Lena shifted in her seat, fully facing the red-haired goddess. "Who is she?"

"Well, this is unfortunate," the queen muttered, looking down at her clasped hands in her lap. "Most unfortunate."

"Your Majesty –"

"Lena, how many times do I have to tell you that you only have to address me by my name?" Persephone chastised, looking at Lena with slight aggravation. "You are more than just someone in this realm, you know that."

She certainly did, but she was going to be as polite and respectful as she could. " _Your Majesty_ ," she stressed, eliciting an impatient sigh from the queen, "who is Kara Danvers?"

Persephone fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, eyes directed at the garden she was tending to before Lena appeared. "Kara Danvers is an Olympian, child of Zeus and an angel under Aphrodite." Lena's eyes widened. "My uncle has had so many dalliances with so many women which produced so many offspring I would not know what to call her. She carries resentment towards her father, which is why she has decided to take residence among mortals, rather than stay in Olympus."

"Like Diana?"

The queen turned to her, nodding. "Yes, like Diana." She cleared her throat. "I am actually quite surprised that you have not met her while you were still here. Kara has a tendency to come visit when she feels like it. My husband and I are quite fond of her, despite her origin, as much as we are of you," she reminded Lena. "I hope your encounter with her is pleasant."

"When we met, it was as though she did not know what I am," Lena remarked.

Persephone hummed. "Yes, that is…well, I really cannot tell you more than what I have. She wishes to be as inconspicuous as possible. She has been in the mortal realm for so long that her name in Olympus has become somewhat of a fable, and she would like to stay that way. Why she is unable to sense your presence is not a secret I am at the liberty to tell you."

Lena simpered, shaking her head. This wasn't as much of an answer. "Is she…will she cause harm to us?"

"The Kara I know is the kindest and most harmless. She disagrees with her father's methods of ruling. The only she has been involved in violence is during the war with Ares." A sense of relief flooded Lena's chest. Maybe Kara was really just at the conference for journalism purpose. "However, it is possible that my uncle has obtained knowledge of your brother's ascension to the realm above, and he sent Kara to…handle the matter."

"Your Majesty –"

"But she is an intelligent one, that Kara. And she will not resort to harmful actions so long as your brother does not give her reason to. Has he given her any reason to?"

Persephone was peering at her in the way that would make anyone squirm, even Lena. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I hope he will not, Your Majesty."

"You andI both, Lena, you and I both."

* * *

 **in my imagination, gods and goddesses don't age after they've reached a certain point in their lives, so now, i'm fancasting sarah drew as persephone and jesse williams as hades. there will be more greek myth figures to come, be patient.** **i'm trying my best to make the way they speak as formal and ancient as possible, but i am a girl with limited talents, which means i'm probably failing at that.**

 **one thing though, what do the _common_ greek myth figures - angels, fairies, you know - address the more powerful ones? i've been struggling with this the whole time i was writing this chapter. please give me some tips! **

**also, let me know if you like this chapter! and if there's anything that i did wrong, because research about the greek myth can only do so much.**


	3. i went from with to without

**an update! i'm procrastinating on three essays to write this chapter, because i have my priorities set straight. with this one, we'll delve further into kara's mind, and we will see asshole!zeus.**

 **now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Cat was going to be so disappointed in her, and the woman was probably someone whom Kara did not want to disappoint in a long time. She had long since given up on trying to impress her father, and her mother was hardly ever there. And she had been gone from Olympus for so long that her relatives had probably forgotten about her – just the way she wanted.

Sometimes, she still shuddered at the thought of ever seeing Poseidon again, whom she was unfortunate enough to be related to.

She typed out the remaining of her fourth draft on the conference she attended two nights ago. Apparently, according to Snapper, she was a little too biased _towards_ Lena Luthor – in all three of her previous drafts. Hopefully, he would find this one satisfactory and not run over to Cat to rat out on her.

It wasn't exactly her fault that Lena – could she call the woman Lena? She really didn't know where they stood after that night – was intelligent, eloquent, and seemed to truly want what was best for the mortals. In addition, it wasn't her fault that Lena was exceptionally breathtaking, and she felt that the rest of National City – and the whole world, if possible – deserved to know that.

Once she was satisfied with the draft, she printed it out, got her things ready, made sure everything was turned off and in order, and headed out of her office to make her way for Snapper's. She sneaked a glance to make sure that the chief editor was already gone, only then did she went in and deposited the draft on his desk.

She was breathing the brisk night air in just five minutes and hailing a cab. There was one other simpler and faster way to go home, but that would use up energy that she wasn't willing to spare.

Before she could hail one though, a black sedan was pulling up, stopping a few feet away from her. She stared at it in curiosity, watching the window at the back roll down, revealing Lena Luthor.

"Good evening, Kara," Lena greeted. The blonde blinked. She looked around to see if there could someone else named Kara as well, but everyone was just going their own ways, not giving two hoots about Lena or her. She turned back to Lena and pointed at herself in query. Lena chuckled. "Yes, Kara, you."

"Right," she mumbled, mustering a weak smile. "Uh, hi." She waved lamely and then dropped her arm.

"A little too late for a girl to be out on the streets alone, don't you think?" Lena asked, raising a brow, and _god_ , how was anyone supposed to function when they were looked at like _that_? Apparently, she spent a little too long marveling at Lena's attractiveness to respond, because Lena went, "Kara?"

"Oh, right." She blinked more rapidly. "Um, I was just…you know." She flourished her arm in the direction of the CatCo building, and then lifted her hand to fidget with her glasses. "You're out late too," she managed to say.

Lena hummed. "Well, it's not easy being the CEO of a company, especially when you're freshly branching out in a whole new city," she explained. She waited a few moments, looking deep in thought, as if she was trying to make a choice. And then she smiled at Kara. "I can give you a ride. Save you some of that cab money."

"Um, I don't want to intrude," Kara said, flinching inwardly. Honestly, she barely knew the CEO and she was already behaving like a teenager with a crush. She thought she was over that like five centuries ago. "I'm sure you're as eager to go home as I am."

"On the contrary, I'm on my way to the airport. I have to be in Metropolis tomorrow morning for a meeting with my brother." Lena heaved an exaggeratedly impatient sigh. Kara briefly wondered if Lena knew about her brother's true nature. "Anyway, I'm sure I can spare twenty minutes to get you home. I will feel quite uneasy knowing that you're gonna end up in a stranger's car."

She almost wanted to tell the dark haired woman that there was no need to worry about her. She could save her own skin against mortals. After all, she did play a part in weakening Ares before she lost her strength and had to spend years upon years to heal. But she stopped herself. The reason she managed to stay here for as long as she did was because of her subterfuge in fooling the humans, and there was no way she was going to reveal herself to a stranger any time soon – as trustworthy as the stranger may looked.

"Come on! I promise you I don't bite." If it wasn't for the lilt in her voice, the wink alone was telling enough about the fact that Lena had some inside joke about that statement, just not shared with Kara.

Her eons of being alive had taught her a great many things, one of which was to not trust people so easily. Her brother was the revered God of War, and he taught her many things in combat, so much so that she almost surpassed him in skills. And in the end, it turned out that those skills had to be used in reverse to fight him, and look at the results of that.

However, looking at the raven-haired woman before her, the roots of trust were already forming within. It could easily be bad news, but the optimist in her – however deep it was buried – insisted that Lena was trustworthy, despite the fact that she was a rogue demon's mortal sister. Kara could only hope that it would not bite her in the ass in the future.

"Okay," she said, and moved forward to open the door. Lena shifted inwards to spare a space for her. "Thank you." She offered the location of her home and sat back as the driver started driving.

"So I haven't seen any articles from CatCo about LexCorp coming to National City," Lena said, breaching the silence that had been over their heads for several minutes.

Kara blinked. She lifted her hand to adjust her glasses again, laughing nervously. "Right, um, yeah, it's coming." She couldn't possibly tell Lena that she had apparently been writing biased pieces that her editor hated. "It's just going through drafting process, you know." No, Lena did not know. Lena was a CEO and she had better things to know than journalism.

The woman next to her hummed. "Well, I hope you wrote good things."

 _Too good_ _things_ , Kara offered mentally. "I hope you'll like it."

"I liked your question that night."

Her eyes widened and she turned towards Lena, who seemed to have a sincere smile and genuinely meant what she said. The blonde frowned minutely. "If you're expecting an apology –"

"No, no," Lena refuted immediately, gesturing her hand in denial. "I understand that it's what you do; asking hard hitting questions. And I'm telling you that I like it. I like it when people are not afraid of my family's status and do not hold back."

"Oh."

"People are often so…hungry for the Luthors' attention that they're willing to let go of their principles to kiss our asses. My brother and I get tired of that so easily. So what you did that night – it was refreshing, to say the least."

"Well, you can't exactly blame them."

Lena's smile shifted into something sardonic, and Kara wanted to do whatever she could to take that sardonicism away. "Yes, well, it can be difficult to meet genuine people when they're never honest with you."

Kara nodded. "I understand," she said, because she did. She could recall when her uncle pretended to be nice to her – inviting her to the seas in the name of spending time with her cousin and lavishing her with all kinds of gifts. He claimed that it was because she was his favorite niece, and he meant it; just not in the way she had expected. "Like you said, human beings can be…interesting." Gods all the more.

"You sound like you know a little something about that."

 _Shit_. "I just…I mean," she floundered, trying to find the right words. Goddammit, only fifteen minutes and she almost revealed herself to one of the smartest people in the country. "You know, we all have our different experiences." Yes, Kara, a lifetime of it.

Lena was looking at her in an indecipherable manner, like she knew something that Kara didn't. It was not malicious, surprisingly, only charmed and curious. "Yes, I supposed you're right." Her gaze shifted away when the car slowed down, and Kara looked out to find that they had already reached her apartment building. "Is this your building?" she intonated.

The blonde nodded. "Yes," she answered, a little regretfully.

While Lena's enigmatic presence had yet to resolve, Kara had found that she quite enjoyed the woman's company, however short it may be. And she kind of didn't want to leave. But as she looked up at her window, she could see a shadow. She sighed, shaking her head to herself. It seemed that she had to get used to people barging into her space until this mission of hers was completed.

She turned back to Lena and smiled gratefully. "Well, thank you for the ride. I could use the extra cab money," she added.

Lena grinned. "You're very welcome." As Kara made her way to get out, she said, "I hope we'll talk again soon."

Kara stopped in her motions, contemplating the woman before her. Lex Luthor may be a mystery, but Lena Luthor was the embodiment of ambiguity, and somehow, Kara wanted to solve her more than she wanted to solve Lex. She then nodded, smiling again, before getting out and watching the car drive away, carrying the biggest mind boggler that she had ever encountered in her life.

And that was saying something.

* * *

"You have got to stop doing this."

Alex stopped laughing at the television, which was playing _Wynonna Earp_. She moved to look at Kara. "You better get used to it," she quipped. She stood up from the couch, sipping from the beer bottle that she had obviously snagged from Kara's stash in the fridge. "Thank you for stocking this up, by the way."

"I don't know why you like that stuff. Alcohol's better at Olympus." She hung her jacket and shoulder back on the rack next to the door, and went to the fridge to grab a carton of milk. "I supposed you're not here to bond," she said bitterly, twisting the lid open and drinking directly from the container.

"We could make it that," Alex replied easily. Kara grimaced. The redhead moved towards the kitchen quickly, sitting down at the island. "He wants to see you." Kara's grimace deepened; she shook her head vigorously. "He said he misses you."

The blonde scoffed, joining her sister. "Yeah, right." Alex hummed in agreement, smirking. "I'm not going back." She hadn't visited Mount Olympus in – she counted in her head – two hundred years, and she wasn't planning on visiting any time soon. She did not miss that place. She did not miss the toxic permeating every nook and cranny. She did not miss the jealousy and the hate that came from everyone. She certainly did not miss having to bear the politics of it all.

Honestly, Tartarus almost seemed like a better place than the site she once called home.

"You have to," Alex implored. "He did not ask. He ordered." Kara glared at her sister. "Don't look at me like that. I hate having to do this as much as you do."

"No, you don't."

" _Yes_ , I do," the redhead insisted. "I know how much you hate Olympus. I know why you insist on staying here for as long as you did. I know you wish he hadn't contacted you in the first place. I don't want you to do something that _you_ don't want to do. But we are all, as powerful as we might be, his servants. I'm just doing what I'm told."

"I still don't know why he wants me to do this. I don't even know why he wants _anyone_ doing this. Lex Luthor seems harmless."

"And you know better than anyone that you can't take people as they _seem_ ," Alex reminded softly, a faraway look in her eyes. They were both still reeling from the war. "We don't have to see him now. We can spend a day together, you know, doing stupid shit like watching stupid shows –"

"Excuse me, _Wynonna Earp_ is not stupid," Kara took offense.

Alex raised her brow. "Kinda is."

"You take that back."

"Listen, those 'Revenants' on that show are silly. We've seen our fair share of demons."

"You were laughing."

"I relate to Wynonna deeply."

Kara tilted her head. "That is true," she commented.

Alex smacked her arm indignantly, eliciting a rare laughter from the blonde. "You're Waverly."

Kara's grin dimmed. She fingered at the label on the milk carton, gulping. She shrugged. "I used to be." She lifted her gaze, and Alex was staring at her with something akin to yearning and reminiscence. "Ares really did a number on us, didn't he?"

Her sister nodded in agreement. "I don't think I've ever thanked Diana enough for killing him," Alex said. "You seen her lately?"

Kara shook her head. "I'm planning to visit Paris when I have the chance."

"Let me know when you do."

They were fond of Diana, and one could easily say that the Godkiller was Zeus' favorite child, but they really couldn't blame him for that. After what she had done and endured, Diana was _everyone_ 's favorite. It came to the point when Hades had allowed Diana to bring a soul back to mortality and even granted the soul immortality.

"So, what are we going to do as we try to postpone this meeting with the Almighty?" Alex asked.

* * *

Olympus was magnificent. It was understandable why the mortals put the place on such a high pedestal, as if the goal in life was to end up here at the end of it.

Being so high up, the clouds were the natural decorations of the outset, floating in between the immortal civilization in many shapes and sizes. One could easily touch a cloud by just lifting a finger. The buildings were ancient, but firm, rooted into the foundations of aeries, enchanted with firming charms that could easily be learned.

The various aromas of Olympian meads reached the nostrils almost immediately as soon as one stepped foot into the realm – balsamic, citrusy, fermented, gingery. Accompanying the meads were the exquisite fragrances of foods that could only be produced in Olympian environment. It was easy to say that the civilians enjoyed these luxuries, judging the shouts of joy and raucous laughter that seemed to emanate from each and every building.

Kara had always found more of a home here than the palace that was looming over them, standing atop a glacial horn, its turrets and towers peaking like a gigantic weapon. Her father was always trying to compensate for something with his architectural creations.

"I forgot," Kara whispered, walking along the streets and taking in the unconcerned lives that were unaware of the horror that went on in that very palace they worshipped.

Alex hummed. "It's nice, isn't it?"

They could have easily just adjusted the portal to land them at the palace, but Alex understood that Kara wanted to prolong the inevitable meeting as much as possible, which was why she adjusted it here. It was as if the woman knew that Kara would need a little reprieve – a reminder that Olympus was not as bad as it seemed; only the palace that she grew up in planted the distaste in her – before she met her father.

"They're so…clueless," Kara commented, watching as a woman carried a child on her back to cross the street. "So happy."

"They weren't there during the war. They've only heard stories."

How very fortunate for them – to not be blessed with immortality, only an awfully long lives. To these civilians, forever was not a concept, but they could easily live up to three hundred years and die of old age or illness.

Kara had always envied them. She had once considered just moving here, and not as far as going to live among the mortals. She tried it for almost eighty years, but having the palace always in her vision was too much to bear, so she made the choice to go somewhere she wouldn't be able to see it.

They spent some time meandering among the civilians, enjoying the meads and the finely roasted meats. They carried out meaningless conversations with the men and women, and played with the children. They sat in a tavern and sang the old tunes of Olympus with the people, laughing and amusing, watching as these people threw themselves into lifelong ignorance of the wars that were always impending and the backstabbing that was always occurring between the gods and goddesses.

They lost themselves in the commons.

Night fell soon, and eventually, the streets were empty, save for a few men collapsing on the sidewalks and women displaying voyeur acts against the walls. Kara and Alex sat down on a bench, breathing in the night air. Even the air in Olympus was different – bittersweet and tangy, more refreshing.

"We should go," Alex whispered, her eyes following Kara's to the moon. Kara hummed, closing her eyes against the lit crescent. "He doesn't like to wait."

"He doesn't like being ignored either." That vice of his was why Kara was born in the first place, because he had no decorum and no gentlemanly ideals. "I, on the other hand, like pissing him off."

Alex chuckled. "That's obvious. I think that's why Athena likes you."

Kara snorted, a grin stretching her lips. "She likes you too."

"Your best sister."

"That's you," Kara corrected instantly, turning towards the woman. "My best sister is always you." Alex's smile widened. Kara extended an arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her in. "I don't know if I would have survived as long as I did in the palace without you by my side."

The redhead wrapped her arm around Kara's waist either. They were both entangled with each other. "And I always will be." She kissed Kara's temple. "You've always been the best of us."

Kara shook her head, leaning into her sister's kiss. "No, I'm not." None of them was good. Not after what they did.

Alex sighed. "We really should go."

The blonde goddess heaved a sigh, remaining immobile for a few seconds, and then she removed herself from her sister, pushing to her feet. She offered her hand to Alex, which the woman took to pull herself up. She turned towards the palace, stuffing her hands in her back pockets.

Her chest rose and fell deeply with each breath, and when her eyes opened, the blue was steely andunwelcoming. She took her first steps in the direction of the palace, followed by her sister, and then they disappeared into a circle of golden light, leaving the civilians and the forgettable behind.

* * *

The hope that she would only have to see her father in the morning was diminished when she saw the empowering figure seated atop the throne, clad in all his glory armor. She nodded at the soldiers standing at the entrance as she made her way in – they already knew who she was since she emanated a specific aura that only she carried.

They stopped a hundred feet from the throne, as required in the constitution.

When Alex bowed, she didn't. She just stood there, looking at her father, who was looking back with disdain at her blatant disrespect. She didn't care that he could easily summon a thunder on her back or throw her in the dungeons. She was no longer afraid of him. She was done being afraid of him.

"Your Almighty," Alex addressed.

"Father," she greeted, not even bothering to keep her irritation from her voice. "I heard you wanted to see me."

By principle, immortal beings like herself and her father did not age once they had reached the ideal age, which was why he almost looked the same age as she did. If he was dressed in civilian clothing, he could easily be mistaken as her brother, friend, or worse, husband. However, because he was vain and lack in shame, he insisted on being dressed in his armor.

His fists that were placed on the arms of his throne clenched, and she could see he was trying to rein in his famously awful temper. "Cherish," he acknowledged.

"It's Kara," she amended. "I have not carried that name for a long time."

"You will do well to remember that I did not permit it."

"And you will do well to remember that I have long since cared for what you do or do not permit."

He slammed his fist, echoing a loud noise across the room. "I am your _father_!" he roared, unleashing his temper.

She merely raised her brows. "A father means that I have respect and love for him. I have neither for you." When he looked ready to shout again, she added, "And you might want to rein that temper in. People are sleeping." He sat back in his throne, and she allowed a little cheer of triumph in her mind. "I do not appreciate being summoned here when I explicitly said that I do not wish to set foot back here unwillingly that year."

"Well, I suppose it is good that I am still your leader, if not your father," he seethed with a mocking smile. "So you will do as I say."

"What do you want?"

"The demon."

"What of him?"

"What have you gathered about him?"

"Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do not toy with me," he fumed.

She sighed, looking away from him to Alex, who was obviously trying not to grin at Kara's behavior towards Zeus. She turned back to him. "I am in no mood to toy with you. As a matter of fact, _you_ toyed with _me_. You barged me into my home and sent me a mission, which seemed meaningless as far as I can tell. It has only been less than a week since, and I have yet to gather much information about him that will render him harmful. As such, I am here to tell you what I have gathered about him: nothing."

"It is not meaningless. He is a rogue demon. And _this_ is your home – Olympus is your home, Cherish."

" _Kara_ ," she stressed, directing a glare at her father. "Cherish is not the only name you granted me. You granted me Kara as well, and I wish to be addressed as that."

"You are the _Goddess of Cherish_."

"Father, as much as I appreciate that you would deem so highly with that name, I have shirked in my responsibilities to adhere it. While I do not respect you," she reminded him, "I respect the meaning of that name. Until I am ready to return to my duties, I am Kara."

He huffed, like a little boy who did not get his desired toy. Kara briefly wondered how he ever had the honor of being the father of this entire world in the first place, let alone hers.

"As to the matter of the rogue demon, he seemed harmless to me so far. Nevertheless, I will honor the mission and continue monitoring him for more information. Until then, I would like you to not send Alex to summon me anytime soon. It is petty and dirty."

"It is her job."

"I understand that. It is also your job to understand that your role is to be kind and principled. Between the three of us, we know that you are capable of being neither. I wish that for once, you will respect my wishes."

He engaged her in a stare down, his eyes firm while hers were still. Once upon a time, she would have cowered and obeyed him. But that was a long time ago, before she learned what he did to her mother to produce her. At present, cowering before him was no longer something she did. It was insulting to her and her mother.

She won, because he exhaled loudly and waved his hand. "Very well."

She nodded, wheeling around so she could leave.

"I did not dismiss you."

"I do not need you to." She conjured a portal and stepped through it.

* * *

When she landed in the mortal realm, it was already daylight. She checked her phone and found that two days had passed, meaning that it was Saturday. Luckily, she had the mind to send an email to Cat, declaring that she had an emergency that she needed to attend to so she wouldn't be able to come into work, before she left with Alex.

Kara collapsed on her couch, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Exhaustion set into her bones, and she was almost sleeping when her phone buzzed.

 _Unknown (9:52 a.m.): You're a talented writer._

She frowned.

 _Kara (9:52 a.m.): Who's this?_

 _Unknown (9:52 a.m.): Lena Luthor._

What the – She sat upright and stared at her phone. She was still staring when her phone buzzed again.

 _Lena (9:57 a.m.): Thank you for the article_.

What article? Wait, did Snapper finally approve the article? She checked her email and found one from Snapper, telling her that it was approved.

 _Kara (9:59 a.m.): You're welcome. How did you get my number?_

 _Lena (10:06 a.m.): I'm a CEO. It's not that difficult_.

Normally, she would be wary. But at this moment and in this place, rather than being wary, she was glad that Lena found her number, as suspicious as it was. Because, if this meant anything, it was that Lena wanted to talk to her outside of the boundaries of work.

 _Kara (10:10 a.m.): Should I be worried?_

 _Lena (10:10 a.m.): I don't know. Do you have anything to be worried about?_

Oh yeah, there was a lot of things that Kara was worried about. First and foremost, the mysterious feelings that Lena elicit within her, even when they were not in each other's presence.

 _Kara (10:11 a.m.): You're a weird one._

 _Lena (10:14 a.m.): So I've been told._

Kara did something that she hadn't done in a long time. She smiled a real smile.

* * *

 **i hate zeus. he's awful.**

 **anyway, thank you for the comments and likes! i really appreciate it! i hope you liked this chapter! leave me a comment to let me know what you think! also, feel free to scold me if i made any mistakes, because like i said, research can only do so much.**

 **fair warning though, i might be able to procrastinate this week, but i won't be able to procrastinate again, which means this fic will have to take a backseat for a couple of weeks. i will try to write, but that probably won't be possible. sorry in advance!**


	4. flirted fate

**i got a four-week extension on my assignment, which is why i managed to write this. there are more hints as to what lena really is. if you can catch it, congratulations! also, you can cry the headcanon that lex really loves lena out of my cold, dead, and lifeless hands.**

 **now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

If there was anything that the humans had done right, it was coffee – and scotch. Lena wasn't sure if she would be able to cope in her mortal vessel if she didn't have coffee, or get through her headaches and late night stays in the office without scotch. The inconveniences of being a mortal, she supposed.

And thankfully, her brother shared similar appreciation for both things with her.

There was a coffeemaker of his own invention sitting in his kitchen; she had one in her own kitchen back in National City. She took comfort in the fact that there was only two of this coffeemaker in this world – a solidification that his adoration for her did not waver, despite his loss of memory of her presence in his life before he came upon this realm, before he came upon Lana Lang.

In one of the cabinets, a full stock of scotch bottles could be found, ranging from Glen Grant and Jura Tastival to Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Benromach. Sure, there were whiskeys and vodkas among his collection – his favorite was vodka – but she could more than make do with the scotch.

Now, in this present moment, with the newly risen sun shining unforgiving rays into the penthouse – she'd gotten a little too used to the dim environment in the underworld – she was in front of the coffeemaker, brewing a pot of much needed caffeine fix. She had a plane to catch in two hours, and she knew for a fact that her nerves would not allow her a wink of sleep on that thing.

When the coffeemaker dinged at completion, she poured herself a cup, sat at the island, and sipped on it with a hum of appreciation.

"Good morning."

She shook her head, her eyes still closed. "Mornings should be outlawed," she grumbled.

Lex chuckled. He had always been amused with her utter dislike for the hours before the clock struck noon. Really, she had only recently discovered that she disliked mornings when she came upon this realm. The sounds of a cabinet opening and pouring of coffee filled her ears in the following few minutes, and then the stool next to her was occupied.

"Thanks for making the coffee."

"I needed it." He hummed; a loud slurping noise followed. "Don't slurp," she chastised. "It's unbecoming."

"You've seen and heard me do worse."

She opened her eyes but didn't look at him. Instead, she stared at the marble island top, thinking about the shenanigans they got up to before, and the shit that he always had a tendency to pull and put Hades in exasperation. Yes, she had seen and heard him do worse, but he didn't know. What he referred to was the snores, the loud sex, the curses, and the guffaws.

"I wish you'd stay longer," he said quietly next to her, a sigh of regret escaping. "I get lonely here."

Lena turned to her brother. "You have Lana." If he noticed the inflection of slight irritation in her voice, he didn't make a point of it.

Instead, he just blinked, a small smile appearing on his face. "She's just a friend," he muttered into his cup, looking into the dark liquid slushing inside it.

"Not for long," she commented. At least she hoped it wouldn't be for long. Otherwise, this whole venture would have been for nothing. The entire purpose of him drinking from the River of Lethe was so that he could become a mortal and spend a life with the woman in question.

Also, Lana would be a fool to not see how great a man her brother was, man or demon.

He lifted his gaze from the cup to her, wistful. "I sure hope so."

They were quiet for a long while, allowing themselves to just be in each other's company, as they always had. Lena wasn't sure if she had ever loved another person like she did Lex; she had always loved being with him; he had a way of making her feel important – or perhaps she _was_ important to him. She really couldn't be sure, and she was never brave enough to ask. Not wanting to lose that illusion, and now there was no chance of asking him, because this was not her Lex.

In an hour, she had changed into clothes that were suitable for a two-hour flight, and he was standing at the door, jangling his keys and looking unhappy.

"I shouldn't have agreed to you moving to National City," he grumbled as she pulled her suitcase with her from the bedroom and closed the behind her.

She hummed. "I would grow to hate you if I spend any more time with you," she said with a teasing smirk, following him into the elevator.

It was true, but it wasn't because he would annoy her. Lex annoyed her on an almost daily basis, and she had never hated him for that. She actually welcomed it. But here's the thing, they were in a mortal world, he was a pretend mortal who was unaware of his own actual immortal identity, and she was an immortal who had to pretend with him, only she was fully aware of who and what she was.

If she had to spend every day with him, she would be constantly reminded of that fact, and she was afraid she would grow to hate him for landing them in these positions.

* * *

There was a mountain of paperwork waiting for her assessment sitting on her desk when she came back to her office. She had just gotten off the plane and didn't even bother going to her penthouse, opting to come into the office instead. It was enough to say that these paperwork was enough of a reminder that she wasn't in the Underworld anymore, and her job wasn't as simple as being a guardian alongside Cerberus.

As she put another folder on top of a growing pile of completed assessments, Lena was beginning to wonder if she made the right decision of coming into work after she had suffered through two hours of nothing but fear that she might crash and burn in what was nothing more than an enormous tin can thousands of miles aboveground. But then again, even if she didn't come in today, she would see the same thing tomorrow, and that didn't seem comforting as well.

She had done her studies on human inventions within two days before coming to this surface, so she understood that planes were the safest ways to travel, but she deeply disagreed with it. In her opinion, there was no way that being stuck in the air for hours, trusting your life in the hands of a pilot, could be safe.

She was fully aware that she couldn't so easily _die,_ as they put it. The worst that could happen was that her powers would be out of commission, and she would have to spend a few days in the healing pool to recuperate, but _still_.What was more irking was that she definitely had way more efficient and safer ways to traveling. Teleportation, transforming and take a run, portals – so many ways. However, her identity was more important, and to use those ways would be raising suspicion, thus she had to subject herself to fucking _planes_.

She was in the midst of her multitasking between assessing paperwork and wallowing that she noticed a sticky note at the corner of the phone.

 _CatCo interview requested. Contact Kara Danvers - 202-555-0119_

The name wasn't necessary, because she would recognize that number easily. First of all, Lena was extremely good with numbers. And secondly, she had spent hours staring at that number over the weekend, inadvertently memorizing it, before she actually texted the number and saved it in her contact list.

Pressing the intercom, she summoned, "Jess, can you come in for a moment, please?"

"Of course, Miss Luthor." She closed her eyes, sighing. While she was all for being polite and formal, Jess had been an exceptional secretary, and she had been imploring the woman to call her by her first name for years – to no avail. Her door opened and Jess stepped in. "Yes, Miss Luthor?"

Putting the subject of addressing aside, Lena raised the note in the air, having plucked it off the phone. "What is this?"

"CatCo called yesterday, asking for an interview with you," Jess relayed. "That's the journalist you should be contacting to give a response."

"Interview about what?"

"The establishment of LexCorp in National City," Jess said. "I can call and reject it for you if you want."

Lena stared at the sticky note for a second before she shook her head. "No need. I'll call her myself."

Jess nodded. "Is there anything else, Miss Luthor?"

"How about you start calling me Lena for a change?"

"Not going to happen, Miss Luthor," Jess said, although this time with a friendly smile.

Lena sighed, smiling in return. "I'll get you to relent one day, Jess."

Jess shrugged. "I look forward to it. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to my desk."

The CEO nodded in approval and watched the door close behind Jess. And then she picked up her cellphone, dialing the number she knew by heart. She rose from her chair and made her way to the balcony, staring out at the city but not paying attention to it, listening to the dial tone connecting to the journalist – _Olympian_ – she had grown fond of within two conversations.

"Hello?"

"You could have just called my cellphone, you know," Lena started in way of greeting, her lips tugging into a wider smile at the sound of Kara's voice.

"I – uh – You know, seems more formal this way," Kara stammered again. Lena had never heard of a goddess being nervous before, and she found this very refreshing. "I wouldn't be calling on the basis of being friendly if I had directly called you."

Lena's eyes zeroed in on the CatCo building, imagining Kara in it, her phone to her ear and her eyes darting in nervousness. "I wouldn't mind."

"Wouldn't mind what?"

"If you're calling to be friendly or ask for your job."

"Oh." Silence stretched across the connection, and Lena could imagine Kara frozen in place. "Well, I will keep that in mind, Miss Luthor."

"Lena."

"What?"

"You can call me Lena."

Kara was quiet again. And then she said, "I will keep that in mind as well…Lena."

"Good."

She tried to fight it, but a shudder ran across her body at Kara saying her name. Somehow, she made it sound…exotic. Lena ran her hand over head, tugging a ponytail over one shoulder. She didn't know what else she was supposed to say, but she certainly did not want to hang up.

"So…" Kara drew it out. "Am I in for the interview or…?"

Lena blinked, and then she frowned, not at Kara but at herself. Whenever she called someone for an appointment, she had always checked her schedule with Jess first to figure out when she would next be free. But this time, she had let Jess go without so much as checking, leaving herself unprepared. She just called Kara because she wanted to.

She swallowed. "I will check my schedule and text you the details, Kara."

Kara took a breath, and Lena didn't want to presume that she was disappointed, but she _sounded_ disappointed with that one sigh, which brought some kind of joy to Lena. "Okay, I'll wait."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Lena was reluctant, but there was still paperwork on her desk and she still had to call Jess in later. So, "Goodbye, Kara."

"Goodbye, Miss – Um, Lena."

There was that shudder again. Lena left the call connected for a few seconds, before she emitted a chuckle and ended it. She stood there, her vision focused on the tallest building in the city. If she could, she would go over there in a second just to catch a glimpse of the Olympian. Alas, she was hiding her identity, and just leaping over there would raise suspicions in the goddess, and that wouldn't do her any good.

When she was back in the Underworld that time, she was tempted to search the scrolls of any mention of Kara, but she refrained from it. But she didn't have to look to the scrolls to get the understanding that Kara Danvers – or whatever her real name was – was highly dangerous – not only to her and Lex, her mission, but also to her _self_.

There were individuals who had come close to gaining a permanent place in her heart, but she had always extricated herself before it went any further. Her mother's tale with her father was enough to drive her way from forming any commitments with anyone. But Kara, well, Lena wasn't sure that if Kara chosen to embed herself in Lena's heart in the future, she would be able to stop it.

And that was dangerous.

But then again, Lena, being what she was, had always embraced danger like a well-known enemy.

* * *

 _Lena (4:09 p.m.): I am available on Thursday evening. 5pm, to be exact._

 _Kara (4:24 p.m.): Good. I'll be there._

 _Lena (4:25 p.m.): I'll let Jess know._

 _Kara (4:32 p.m.): Jess?_

 _Lena (4:32 p.m.): My secretary. I believe you spoke to her._

 _Kara (4:32 p.m.): Right, I did._

 _Lena (4:46 p.m.): I look forward to seeing you._

 _Kara (4:59 p.m.): Me too._

* * *

She could sense him when she was just five floors away from her penthouse. A sense of foreboding crawled into her senses, and she gripped the strap of her purse tighter, waiting for the elevator to reach her floor. When it did, she stepped out into the living room, and he was sitting on her couch, treating himself to the scotch she had kept in her supply when she moved here.

Lena dropped her bag on the empty armchair, and stood next to it, staring at him. She didn't think she had seen him dressed in human clothing before, and to be frank, he looked quite good in his polo shirt, bomber jacket, and beige khaki pants.

"Your Majesty," she addressed.

Hades didn't look up from the magazine he was reading, specifically the article that Kara had written about her. He only closed his eyes, sighing in exasperation. She could already hear the diatribe that she had just heard from his wife last week in her head. "Lena, there is no need to address me as such."

Ah, she supposed why Jess was so stubborn on being formal with her. Like it or not, Hades was still the king in the Underworld, making him her king. It did not matter how fond he was of her and how friendly they were with each other; she was still going to address him respectfully, if only to keep decorum of formality and a reminder to herself that he was her ruler at the end of the day.

"I thought you do not like this realm, Your Majesty."

He nodded. "You are correct." He slowly put the magazine on the coffee table and looked up at her. "Lena, you can sit." Only then did she take a seat on the armchair she had left her bag in. "That is a nice article," he commented, nodding towards the magazine.

So that was what he was here for. She nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Cora has informed me of your visit and what it entailed," Hades explained. "As you might be able to deduce, I do not usually make it a habit to visit this…festered place." His lips curled in disgust as he turned to look out at the city, lit and busy in the night. "But I feel that this matter with Kara requires me to come and discuss with you. I wanted to meet you two days ago when I returned from my errand, but it is to my understanding that you were visiting Lex, and I did not feel it appropriate to be in his presence, what with his temporary loss of memory."

Lena inclined her head in understanding. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"I have to say I did not see this complication coming," he said in regret. "I never would have expected you would be staying in the same city as Kara."

"Coincidences arise at times."

He gave her a look. "You and I both know that there is no such thing – not in the grand scheme of things."

"And what is the grand scheme of this?" she asked, looking back at him.

"I have been failing to reach the Fates so far," he said, as if it wasn't a big deal.

But it was. To bring the Fates into this would be magnanimous; would mean more than what it was supposed to be. Plus, Fates weren't supposed to interrupt in the lives of the immortals. It was a rule. They were only supposed to deal with human destiny, and god only knew the shit they had spun for the humans over the ages and eras.

Lena simply did not want to comprehend what they had spun for her and Kara. She wasn't sure if she could trust them to spin and allot anything good.

Hades must have sensed the bewilderment in Lena. "I do not want to believe that to be the case either, my child, but I have to take everything into account."

She thought of how everything in her seemed to lighten up whenever she thought of Kara. She thought of how unprepared she would become when she was speaking with Kara. She thought of how she had almost been driven speechless when she first saw Kara.

She didn't want to bring it up, but seeing as he brought the Fates into the fold, she had to question this as well. "Do you think…Eros might have something to do with this?"

From the look on his face, he was already considering this. "To my knowledge, no one in Olympus knows of your presence," he started, "but as we know, the Olympians can be tricky and cunning, and they take joy at the pain of others."

If anything, he had just solidified that there would not be a happy ending for any of them, if the deduction he had come up with was proven to be true.

She took a deep breath, averting her gaze from him and to the magazine that was open to the page where Kara's article was printed on. It elated her to know that Kara thought so highly of her. "What are you here to say exactly, Your Majesty?"

Hades pressed forward, supporting his forearms on his knees, his fingers steepled. "I implore you to remember the purpose of you being here. I have personal experience in how…enlightening Kara can be, and she is a _joy_. But until the worst outcome presents itself, you have to keep your identity an absolute secret, and you cannot reveal yourself to _anyone_ , not even your brother."

"That is what I am planning on."

He nodded in approval. "Good. I am certain that you will have further dalliances with Kara. I wish that they will be in your favor. I would hate to see my two favorite children cross each other." He displayed a rare smile.

She froze, eyes snapping back to him. "Your Majesty." This was the first time he had outwardly expressed his adoration for her, calling her _his_ child.

He stood up and walked over to her, leaning down to kiss her on top of her head. "You are, quite possibly, the one thing that makes me the proudest," he whispered. She could hear the smile in his voice. "And I cannot wait for you to come home."

When she looked up, he was gone. One might think that it was all just an illusion, but the glass of scotch and the open magazine on the coffee table said everything she needed to know.

* * *

Her conversation with Hades loomed over her head over the next three days, even when it was already Thursday. Lena was not easily scared, but the idea that the Fates and Eros might be involved in this whole thing put the fear of Tartarus in her. Hence, she couldn't quite focus when Kara was sitting in front of her, pen set on her notepad and asking valid questions that Lena was finding difficult to give answers to.

"Lena, is this not a good time?" Kara asked, noticing her wavering concentration. "We can set up another appointment if you want."

 _They take joy at the pain of others_.

"No, sorry, I'm quite tired."

"Oh, well, I only have one more question. Is that okay with you?" Kara was frowning, still looking mildly concerned.

Lena nodded, hopefully the smile on her face was convincing enough. "Go ahead, Kara."

"Do you think it is coincidence that your brother decided to build a branch in National City when you are ready to come out of the dark, as one might say?"

 _You and I both know there is no such thing – in the grand scheme of things_.

Coincidentally, it was true that Lex had announced that he would like to branch out into National City when she met with him and told him of her desire to use the LexCorp name to bring the Airmaker to the public. Coincidentally, Lena also expressed her desire to be able to work somewhere away from him, under the guise of wanting to be independent from him, though not entirely. Coincidentally, Kara lived in the same city.

But was it all a coincidence? Or was it the Fates or Eros playing with her, and consequentially, Kara?

Lena knew where her capabilities reached; she also knew what being what she was entailed. She was the very signifier of danger, and wherever she was, there was danger. So far, there was none yet, but she had never been optimistic in that sense. She was still waiting for it, so she could protect her brother and keep him away from trouble as much as possible.

"Tell me, Kara, do you believe in fate?" She couldn't stop herself before the question escaped her, and as she watched Kara's face transformed from curiosity to a mixture of bewilderment and anguish, she was starting to regret it.

The blonde tapped her pen against her notepad, considering her answer for a few moments. "I used to not," she said with a melancholic smile. And then there was a faraway gaze in her eyes. "But now, I think fate will always have something to do with our lives, no matter what, who, or where we are."

She was speaking from experience, Lena could see as much. She wanted to pursue further, but she knew that her initial question had drawn Kara into a dark place, so she refrained. "I suppose you can say that it's not a coincidence," she said as an answer to Kara's question. "I think that the world wants me to move here and be on my own – independent from my brother. I think that I'm meant for more than to be my brother's shadow, which is why I'm here, chairing an office of my own and starting my venture under the LexCorp brand."

Kara nodded and jotted down notes. She closed the notepad and smiled at Lena, her previous forlornness gone, and Lena thought that she was a better actress than she had thought. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Lena."

"You're welcome."

The Olympian stood up, putting her materials into her backpack and shouldering it. "Well, I'm off, then. I don't want to interrupt your dinner plans or anything."

"Oh, I'll probably be here late," Lena said, waving her hand dismissively.

Kara stopped in her tracks, frowning again. "You don't eat dinner?" She sounded absolutely appalled.

"Sometimes I forget, but don't worry, I'll get Jess to order some takeout for me."

" _Lena_." Kara now looked absolutely disbelieving and disapproving. "It's _dinner_."

Lena raised her brow. "My, Kara, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you're worried about me."

Contrary to her expectation that Kara would stammer and stutter again, the woman pivoted on her feet. "Yes, I am! You have to eat!"

For a moment, Lena allowed the surprise to show on her face. Other than Lex, Hades, and Persephone, she didn't think anyone would be worried about her. This reaction from Kara had done nothing but spur her fondness for Kara, which wasn't good.

"Promise me you'll eat," Kara insisted.

Lena suppressed the urge to do as she asked and adopted her usual persona of nonchalance. "I think it's still too early in our friendship to make promises."

" _Lena_." She was _whining_ at this point, and for a second, Lena wanted her to whine for other reasons, which she suppressed as well. "Promise me."

The half demon could only nod. What else could she do when confronted with a look like that? A look of genuine concern and frustration. "Okay, okay, I'll eat." Kara narrowed her eyes, pinning Lena down with her gaze. "Kara, I promise," she stressed.

"If I find that you're not eating, I swear that I'll…" Kara drifted off, trying to search for her words as she swung her fists in the air.

"You'll what?" Lena implored.

"I don't know. I'll figure it out. But I'll make damn sure that you eat."

"I'm half tempted to not eat just to see what it is you'll figure out."

" _Lena_." It was honestly refreshing to hear Kara's voice saying her name in such a variety of tones.

"I promised I'll have dinner, and I do not make it a point to break promises."

Kara huffed, and then nodded again. "Good." She adjusted her glasses and waved. "I'll be going then." Lena watched as she made her way to the door and then paused with her hand on the handle. She looked back at Lena, an indiscernible look clouding her blue eyes. There was a long moment of just staring one another before Kara asked, "So you believe in fate then?"

The CEO's eyes widened a fraction, her fists clenching on her lap. Luckily, Kara couldn't see her below the waist. She leaned back in her chair, exuding an air of tranquil. "Like you said, I think it'll always have something to do with our lives, no matter what, who, or where we are."

And Lena, despite her unwillingness to believe in the idea that her life was in the hands of three elderly women who had done more than enough wreckage with humanity, was deathly afraid of it.

* * *

 **if you think lex is the real plot point of the story, you are wrong. there's more coming, and i cannot wait to throw the plot twist at y'all, because i am evil.**

 **i love writing hades. he's just such a sweetheart.**

 **also, i realize that the feedback on this fic hasn't been as good as i would have thought, not that i expected it to be any good, but you know, i'm vain in some ways. is there anything that y'all don't like about this fic? except for the slowburn and stuff? please do let me know in the comments!**


	5. where will you pour it out

**i really need to stop procrastinating.**

 **so much fluff, and some angst, and an explosion. whoop whoop!**

 **now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Kara froze from her position on the sidewalk. She reached up to tilt her glasses and stroke the puppy's chin one more time before she pushed herself back out from the under the bench and rolled onto her back, smiling sheepishly up at Lena. Now that she had Lena in her sight, she was more than grateful that she didn't choose to stand up before she turned.

Lena, who already looked like an angel without much effort, was currently standing at her feet, looking down at her under the bright and glowing sun, which created a halo effect over her head, somehow managing to emphasize the features of her already perfect face. If Kara didn't already think Lena was an angel before – she very much did, even though angels weren't real – she certainly did now.

She emitted a nervous laugh, gulping. "Hi, Lena," she greeted.

The raven haired woman offered a smile back. She lifted her gaze for a minute, glancing around her, before looking back down at Kara, bemused. "Are you planning on staying down there?" Lena asked, frowning slightly.

Kara considered the question for a moment as she simultaneously took in the entirety of Lena's appearance. And then she made her decision, nodding. "Yeah, I think so." She didn't think she would be able to stay on her feet if she actually tried to stand up, and there was also a puppy under the bench that she still wanted to persuade out.

Normally, people would probably take her as someone who belonged in a mental health facility, though given her lifetime experiences; she didn't need to be lying on the pavement in a park for people to think so. She would have expected Lena to have the same reaction. But then again, when had Lena ever done anything that Kara had expected?

Also, it wasn't as if Kara did this _often_. As a matter of fact, this was the first time she ever found herself lying face down on the pavement in the park where she usually did her morning run – and of course, the first time she ever did so would be witnessed by a woman she may or not have a major crush on. She was running, she heard a whimper, she could recognize it to be a puppy or a dog, and well, canines – animals of all kinds, actually – were her vice. So she just naturally crawled under bench as much as she could to coax the puppy out.

So, as opposed to her expectations, Lena put the purse she was carrying on the bench that the puppy was under, and knelt down, granting Kara a glimpse into her skirt before the blonde promptly removed her gaze and focused on Lena instead, which wasn't difficult _at all_. She figured she could stare at that face all day and not grow tired of it.

"What's got you in such a position?" Lena asked, lowering her head as much as she could to see what had caught Kara's interest, but failing to.

"Oh, it's a puppy," Kara said, motioning at it as she turned her head over, smiling at the small ball of white fluff that was cowering under there, half scared and half curious at the outside world. She reached out gingerly and touched the puppy with gentle fingers so as not to scare it off. "Aren't you a sweet thing?" she cooed. "Where's your mommy, huh? Why are you alone?"

And then Lena, without going so far as implanting her entire body to the ground, just lowered her hand under the bench and made a clicking noise with her tongue while wiggling her fingers. Kara's first thought was that it wouldn't work, because she had done that just now to no avail. She was just about to tease Lena for it, but then was stunned speechless when the puppy followed Lena's finger and tottered out from under the bench, nuzzling into the material of Lena's maroon coat.

Kara blinked rapidly, as if after each blink she would see that it was all just imagination and the puppy was still under the bench. But no, instead, the puppy was now cuddled in Lena's right arm, wagging its tail and panting in excitement.

"Okay, what the heck?" she muttered, pushing herself up to a sitting position as she watched the unbelievable scene in front of her. Lena was smirking when she raised her eyes. Did this woman ever _not_ smirk? "This is so unfair," Kara grumbled, huffing at the puppy and pointing a finger at it. "You're a traitor."

"Can't be a traitor when there's no promises made in the first place," Lena succinctly provided, scratching the top of its head. "Now, let's see if you are a boy or a girl." She raised the puppy in the air in front of her, examining its midriff, and then quirked a brow. "Oh, look at that, a little prince," she cooed, making an excited face at it – him.

Initially dismayed, Kara was now surprised she didn't melt right into a puddle at the sight of in front of her. She had seen her number of adorable things, but this one – Lena holding the puppy up close to her face and making stupid cooing noises while mumbling gibberish – had to take the cake. Kara honestly wanted to _die_ to this vision.

When Lena rose and proceeded to sit on the bench with him, Kara followed, her gaze following them the whole time.

"You should adopt it," Kara commented.

Lena chuckled, lowering the puppy to her lap. "As much as I would like to, I'm afraid I won't have the time to take care of a pet," she said. And then she lifted her eyes to Kara. "Why don't you take it?"

"But you saved it!"

"I think 'save' is kind of a stretch."

Kara moved closer to Lena. "Listen, I spent like thirty minutes right there on the ground like a lunatic trying to get him out, and he wouldn't budge. You made some random sound and he came right at you. He wants you to be his mom."

If she hadn't been watching Lena so intently, she wouldn't have noticed the dark look that crossed the woman's expression, which was soon replaced by a placating smile. "I'm not ready to be a mom yet, not even of a puppy." She lifted it to her face again. "Though I will admit, you are a very adorable puppy."

"So why exactly are you here at Grandview Park on this fine morning?" Kara asked.

"Oh, sometimes I just like to take walks alone in the morning before I go into the office."

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "It's Saturday."

Lena turned to her. "Yes, it is."

"You're not supposed to work on Saturdays."

"Plenty of people work on Saturdays."

"Plenty of people are not CEOs."

"Plenty of people are not trying to build revolutionary technology that might save a lot of lives."

Stunned silence, Kara could only blink. And then she took a moment to really take in Lena's appearance. Her coat was wrinkled, her hair was not as neat as Kara would have thought, and there was a slight hint of dark circles under the woman's eyes. "Lena," she pronounced.

"What?"

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes further. "Did you sleep last night? Or leave your office at all?"

The other woman looked slightly peeved now. "Well, I was much too absorbed down in the laboratory. And when I finally came out to get some fresh air, it was already morning."

"Lena!"

"Don't look at me like that." The raven haired woman averted her gaze and looked back to the puppy. "It's not easy when you run a new branch office in a whole new city. There's no point of going to sleep when you can use the time to do something productive."

"There won't be anyone running the office if you neglect your health!"

"What do you plan on doing with this little guy?" Lena asked, shifting the trajectory so quickly that Kara almost got a metaphorical crack in her neck.

She blinked at the woman and then stammered, "Well, uh – my plan only went so far as getting it out. I didn't quite consider –" She froze and then exclaimed, "Hey, you're changing the subject!"

Lena sighed, shaking her head. "And it almost worked," she complained softly. "Listen, Kara, I know what I'm doing. I'll be fine, and your concern is very much appreciated, alright?" Lena stared at her with an appreciative smile; Kara relented. Yeah, somehow, she had a feeling that this woman was going to be the death of her, if not literally then figuratively. "But seriously, what are you going to do with this little guy?"

The blonde reached out, wriggling her fingers. Lena dutifully moved the puppy over into her hold. Kara scratched him under his chin, giggling when he lapped at her fingers and leaped happily onto her chest, only to fail and drop back onto her lap. Of all the things and creations that her father had come up with, animals were the only things he had not screwed up – especially dogs.

"He likes you too," Lena remarked, moving to prop her arm on the back of the bench and curl her fingers into her hair.

With more intent than necessary, the Olympian coddled the puppy. Apparently, Lena was more than capable of appearing as effervescent as ever, even in her exhausted state.

She wondered what her father was thinking when he created Lena Luthor to grace the face of the Earth. He was probably feeling too kind. Perhaps he was thinking that after so many years of the mortals touting him to be such a graceful and generous figure – he was anything but – that they deserved to be rewarded with some hint of beauty, and then he created Lena, blessing those within her circles.

"You know, _you_ could adopt him," the woman followed with a suggestion. When Kara's resolve dissolved and she just had to turn, Lena was cocking her brow in that way again. "After all, you're the one who found him first."

And then before Kara could stop herself, she said, "We can co-parent."

Lena laughed. The blonde realized that this was the first time she had ever heard Lena laugh; it was short, but it sounded genuine, unabashed, and like Lena hadn't laughed in a long time. It was...Well, Kara didn't quite know how to put it into words. She just knew that she wanted to hear more of it.

"At least ask me to dinner first," the woman teased.

Kara's eyes widened. "No, I – I didn't – Sorry, I just – That wasn't me coming onto you," she struggled, her nerve endings burning with embarrassment. Lena was _so_ out of her league. "I mean, we technically rescued him together, so like, it's not fair that I'm the only one to take care of him."

She didn't know how she did it, but the CEO laughed again. She reached out and joined Kara in stroking the puppy. "I don't think I'm ready for that big of a responsibility yet." She winked. "But I'm pretty sure I have some fun aunt potential in me, if you'll allow me to visit at times."

"Of course!" Kara agreed a little too eagerly. And then she shook her head, clearing her throat. "I mean, yeah, sure."

Lena's smirk widened. She then stood up. "Well, I think it's time I head back to the office. I've still got some last minute procedures to go through before the official experiment," she declared, shouldering her purse.

Kara tried to not let the disappointment show on her face. "You're gonna go back home tonight, right?"

The woman just shrugged, which was not a good sign. "If I remember," she said nonchalantly.

"Lena," Kara chastised.

"Kara, I told you: I know what I'm doing." Lena gave the puppy one last stroke and then waved at Kara. "I'll see you when I see you," she said.

The blonde watched the CEO walked away until she was out of her sight, and then she looked back down at the puppy. How the hell did Lena coax him out?

* * *

 _Kara (7:04 p.m.): What do you think of Bench?_

 _Lena (8:14 p.m.): What?_

 _Kara (8:15 p.m.): Puppy name_

 _Lena (8:17 p.m.): You are not naming my canine nephew Bench_

 _Kara (8:17 p.m.): But we found him under a bench, seems suitable_

 _Lena (8:19 p.m.): You came out of a womb. Should your parents have named you Womb instead?_

 _Kara (8:34 p.m.): Uncalled for :/_

 _Lena (8:35 p.m.): Let me know when you find a better name_

* * *

Alex was having a glaring context with Bench when Kara came home from work. Well, Alex was glaring, Bench was just panting happily at her from his position on the floor, and Kara was partly amused and partly frustrated.

"You know, this is what we call trespassing," she said, hanging her jacket and backpack by the door. "And stop looking at Bench like that."

Her sister averted her glare from the puppy to Kara, incredulous. "What the fuck kind of name is Bench? And when did you even get a dog?"

"Language, Alex," she chastised as she knelt, clapping her hands for Bench. Sensing a more welcoming presence than the woman lying on the couch, he bounded over to her, leaping up to plant his paws on her knees, tail wagging in excitement. "My dog, my right to name him." She lifted the puppy and carried him over to the couch, nudging Alex's legs to make space for her. She sat down and kissed him over his head. "And I found him at the park," she said.

Alex sat upright, throwing Bench an unamused look. "He kept licking me," she grumbled.

"He's showing his affections, Alex. I'm pretty sure you don't get much of that." When she looked up, Alex was throwing her a deadpanned look. Kara only grinned. "What are you doing here anyway?" Not that she didn't appreciate her sister coming to visit her, but she had never gotten so many visits from the woman before.

"Mom wants you to visit," Alex offered. "She misses you."

"Oh." Kara had planned on visiting Alex's mother – the woman who was more of a mother to her than her own – during her last trip to Olympus, but she got so annoyed at her father that she decided to just come back immediately after. "I miss her too."

But she didn't want to go to Olympus again. Going to the place she once called home had always done a toll on her. When she came back that day, she had inhaled five tubs of Ben and Jerry's and binge-watched four seasons of _Gilmore Girls_. It was all the reminders set in every nook and cranny – the mead and the laughter she used to lose herself in to avoid facing her father, the blood that used to paint the walls of the throne room, the palace that was always _there_ to tell her that she couldn't be free of her responsibilities.

She honestly didn't know how she endured so many centuries there before making the decision to come here.

"I can't go back there, Alex," she said. She had her knees curled up to her chest on the couch, Bench in the cleavage between her thighs, and half her face in his fluffy white hair.

"I told her that. She just doesn't understand why you would choose to be here where you are nothing more than a commoner when you can be a royalty back there," Alex explained.

No one would. No one understood. No one except Alex, Hades, Persephone, and Diana. To be honest, there wasn't any other way for her to explain so that they _could_ understand. This was something that was unexplainable. She huffed a sigh and rolled her head to bury her entire face in Bench's tiny body.

"You could have at least given him a better name."

Glad for the change of topic, Kara lifted her head and smiled down at Bench. "It's a suitable name." Bench was found under a bench, yes, but it wasn't just that. Lena had joined her at the bench, and it was because of this puppy and his namesake that she had somehow deepened her friendship – could she even call it that? – with Lena. "Lena didn't like the name, either." And then Kara tensed. Shoot. She didn't mean to tell Alex about Lena.

Alex's brows lifted to her hairline. She tilted her head, watching Kara for a bit, and then a slow teasing smile spread across her face. "Who's Lena?" she asked.

Kara cleared her throat, worrying her lower lip. "No one." She scoffed inwardly to herself. Yeah, if Lena was no one, then she wasn't a goddess.

"She's obviously someone if she makes you smile like that. I don't think I have ever seen you like that before, not even when you had that stupid crush on that James fella."

She could already feel her cheeks burning. How hadn't she set herself on fire yet?

"Lena is a friend," she said meekly.

She didn't know how else she was supposed to describe Lena, honestly, because she herself didn't quite understand what Lena was to her. It was ridiculous, really, because she didn't even really know the woman in question. What was her favorite color? What was her hobby besides engineering? What else was she good at besides inventing and coaxing puppies out from under benches? What kind of environment did she grow up in? How was her relationship with her brother? How did she manage to find herself in a situation where she was the mortal sister of an actual demon?

All these questions were just proofs that there was much to know. And yet, Kara found herself wanting to evoke the powers she had suppressed within herself just to fly over the city and be in Lena's presence. It was ridiculous.

"How did you meet her?" Alex probed.

Kara blinked, determined not to look at her sister. She hadn't told Alex about Lena because she was sure that her sister wouldn't approve. But now, she kind of didn't have much of a choice. "The conference," she said. "She's Lex Luthor's sister."

Confusion clouded over Alex's face. She leaned back slightly. "What sister? Lex doesn't have a sister."

The blonde shrugged. "He does here," she said.

As expected, the teasing look on her sister's face faded, replaced by a wary look. "Kara, a demon doesn't just get a sister like that," she said. "Unless he reincarnated, and we know that he did not."

"What if he did?"

"Hermes said –"

"Hermes is not always right," Kara snapped in irritation.

Her sister just gave her a you-know-better-than-that look. "Hermes might not give _everything_ , but he's always right," she reaffirmed.

"That doesn't mean Lena is going to join her brother with whatever nefarious plan he might be brewing up. As a matter of fact, we don't even know if Lex is actually here _with_ a nefarious plan," Kara complained.

"Did you just use 'nefarious'? _Twice_?"

"I'm six hundred years old," she pointed out.

"And I'm seven hundred and fifty three," Alex retorted. And then she shook her head. "Not the point. Why do you think Lena's here? In the same city as you? If she is, like you said, just Lex's mortal sister, why isn't she in Metropolis together with her demon brother?"

Kara rarely ever got angry with her sister. Alex had never given her a reason to be angry at her. But right now, as aware as she was about the unfairness of the anger directed at her sister, she also felt unfair _for_ Lena. Admittedly, she didn't know the CEO well, but she also prided herself for being a pretty good judge of character.

She deposited Bench on the floor so as not to crush him under a pure strength infused by frustration and stood up, shooting a glare at Alex. "Don't do that," she said, crossing her arms. "Don't _patronize_ me. Don't treat me like I'm just a child. Don't go and question my judgement. Don't –"

" _Kara_." It was only when she stopped that she realized she was almost yelling. Alex was looking at her, hand outstretched in a placating gesture. "I'm not doing any of that. I just want you to be careful."

The blonde sighed; lowering her head until her chin almost touched her chest. She nodded slowly. "I know," she breathed.

Because Alex knew her the best, she could immediately understand why Kara was reacting the way she was. "We all misjudged Ares," Alex said softly, standing up with her and holding her forearms. "It's not just you."

She clenched her jaw. "He liked me the most. I should have seen it."

"Everyone likes you the most."

"Everyone likes Diana the most."

"Everyone likes you the most before Diana came along. You're not jealous of your own sister, are you?"

Despite her own wishes, Kara heaved a teary laugh, leaning into prop her forehead on Alex's shoulder. "God no, she can take all those favorite votes. The pressure's on her now," she said, her voice muffled. After a long moment of Alex touching her hair and her following the movement of Alex's chest with her own breathing, she said, "I don't think Lena's a bad person, Alex."

Alex hummed. "You still have to be careful."

Kara kept her eyes closed. She could still distinctly feel the butterflies in her stomach when she rolled around and saw Lena with a halo like an angel. She could still distinctly feel the lightness in her chest when she watched Lena coddling Bench like an aunt who just her newborn nephew. She could still distinctly feel the softness that joined her when she heard Lena's laughter.

Lena was not a bad person. Kara wished desperately that Lena was not a bad person.

* * *

After Alex had left, Kara sat on the fire escape for a couple of long hours, staring at the LexCorp building in the distance while also keeping Bench from slithering through the slits and falling to his death. If she used her power, she would be able to see into the distance and maybe even see Lena in her office.

She didn't. First of all, that would be a breach of privacy and she had experienced her own breach of privacy to know that no one liked being violated without knowing. And second of all, using her powers would summon a lot of strength, and she didn't quite like the bed rest she would have to take after. But most important of all, she didn't want to turn her sensor on and risk sensing that Lena was more than just a mortal.

She didn't want Alex to be right. She didn't want Lena to be just another link in the complicated chains that she was already involved in.

She was still staring at the building, wondering if Lena was stuck in the lab and forgot to sleep again, when she heard the noise and saw the light at the top of the building. The light resembled a lot like fire.

It didn't take her long to put it together.

An explosion.

Her eyes widened and she shot up to her feet.

 _Lena_.

* * *

 **and the real plot commences...who's the bad guy? who do you think?**

 **thank you for the comments and favorites! please comment more and favorite more! they validate me.**


	6. this is the hour of lead

**please, as if lena can be so easily harmed by a simple bomb**

 **now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Lena offered the cash and smiled in appreciation when the boy behind the counter handed her the cup of coffee. They only stared at her in mild horror as their eyes darted out the window, where the reflection of fires could be seen on the glass. Ignoring them, she walked out the door as she sipped from her coffee cup, her eyes going over the edge to the top of her building as it burned in blazing flames.

There were people gathered on the sidewalk, gawking at the spectacle that was her office in the L-Corp building. She lowered the cup, took a deep breath to brace herself, and then put on her best acting face. She couldn't very well be her calm self while her office was burning and tip people off, could she?

She raced towards the crowd, yelping, "Oh my god!" She joined them as she watched it burn. "My office!" Well, she could always rebuild it. Money wasn't much of an issue. "What happened?"

She knew what happened. She could sense it coming this afternoon when she returned to her office. But the bomb wasn't going to go off until fifteen minutes ago, which was why she stayed in and did as much paperwork as possible and uploaded them to her online profile so she wouldn't lose anything. Before she left the office to get out of the bomb's way, she had already turned on the evacuation alarm so that her employees would get to safety before they were harmed.

To be honest, while part of her was not very much moved by this event, another part of her was angered. It was not a surprise – the Luthor name came with a price – but it was certainly unfounded. No one who would have the capability to install a bomb in her office came to mind, but she was certain that she must have pissed someone off to make them want to blow her up.

Not too long later, she could hear the sirens coming from one side of the street, followed by the appearance of cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulances. She waited until everyone came out of the vehicle, and made her way towards them.

She approached a woman dressed in an oversized NCPD jacket. "Officer!" she regarded.

The woman turned around, her face clouded in concern and annoyance. "What?" she snapped before she finally looked at Lena. She blinked. "Oh, you're alive," the officer said, nodding. "Okay, that's good. One less thing to worry about." She looked upwards and then back to Lena. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I honestly don't know," Lena replied, inserting as much panic into her voice as possible. "I came out to get coffee and then I heard it explode."

The officer darted her gaze towards the coffee cup Lena was holding, frowning. "You don't have coffee in your office?"

"This one's better."

The shorter woman looked like she wanted to ask further but decided against it. When she opened her mouth, Lena suddenly found herself tugged on the arm and turned around, watching as Kara's panicked expression turned relieved. Suddenly, the anger that Lena felt dissipated, replaced by concern over _Kara_.

"Kara?" she asked.

Kara heaved a sigh of relief, removing her hands from Lena's arms. Just then did Lena realize how strong Kara had been holding her. "Thank god, I was so worried."

Oh, Kara had been worried about her. Lena blinked a couple of times to process that truth, and then smiled, making it as strained as possible. "It's okay, Kara. I'm okay."

The blonde shook her head vigorously, positively incensed. "No, it is _not_ okay. Your building is on fire!" she exclaimed, gesturing upwards at the aforementioned fire.

"It's just my office," Lena offered.

Kara gaped at her. "It's still your building! You could have been killed!"

"I'm honestly more worried about my staff." Some of them may not have made it out, which reminded Lena. She turned back around; the same officer was still there, watching them with crossed arms. "Do you know if there are any casualties, officer?"

The woman raised her brows. "It's detective. Detective Maggie Sawyer," she offered. "And I literally just came here. I haven't had the time to check yet."

Lena narrowed her eyes. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"

The officer – _detective_ – narrowed her eyes in return. And then she nodded. "Don't go anywhere please, Miss Luthor," she ordered before marching towards the entrance of the building, where the other police officers that came with her were assembled.

Lena took in the people around her, recognizing some of her employees scattered around. One lucky thing about this incident was that most of them would have gone home already, leaving behind some. She hoped that the ones she could see were all of them. Otherwise, she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself.

There could be nothing more apparent than the fact that the perpetrator was after _her_ , or they wouldn't have installed the bomb just in her office. Briefly, she wondered if they could be human or something else. But then again, if they were something else, they could have found more creative ways to go after her than just planting a bomb which they would know wouldn't work on her.

It couldn't be an Olympian, because as Hades had told her, no Olympians knew of her presence. It could be a demon, but she didn't remember pissing off anyone when she was still back home. After all, she spent most of her time in Cerberus' presence, not wanting to communicate with anyone else unnecessarily. And Cerberus wouldn't even _know_ what a bomb was or how to plant one, for that matter.

"Lena." Oh, she forgot Kara was here. "Are you okay?"

Lena nodded, swallowing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She waved the cup of coffee between them. "Luckily, I came out for this, so I wasn't in my office when the explosion happened," she said with a fake sigh of relief. "Or I would look like pork roast right now."

Kara only stared at her with disbelief. "How can you joke in a situation like this?"

Nothing that had ever happened to her on this realm was of too much of a consequence. Honestly, she couldn't remember the last time she actually panicked when something essentially grave and harmful occurred. She had seen, heard, and done things that were far worse than having a bomb blow her up – she wouldn't die from the bomb anyway. She had experienced far too much to be moved by this.

But then again, she couldn't exactly tell Kara that.

So she shrugged. "I'm not afraid of attempts on my life anymore." And then she tensed, eyes widening by a fraction.

It couldn't be. _She_ would never want to make her way onto this realm just to kill Lena. _She_ could easily do that when Lena was back home. _She_ cared and loved her son too much to want to ruin the one possible person who could save him if things ever came to that.

The blonde in front of her frowned, sensing her tension. And then she put her hands on Lena's arms. "Oh, Lena," she sighed. Lena blinked, realizing that Kara only thought she was nervous because of an addition the number of attempts on her life, which wasn't exactly untrue, but it was more than that. "Hey, I know the detective asked you to stay here, but do you wanna come home with me? It would probably be better if you're not alone tonight."

Lena stared down at the hands holding her, and Kara seemed like she wanted to do more than that, like hug her. Affection was not something Lena was used to. Despite her closeness with Lex, they were not people who liked to touch. For some reason, Lena wanted Kara to hug her, but she remembered her and Kara's identities. While she had been blatantly flirting with Kara over the short period of their friendship, she also understood that there couldn't be more than that.

Gingerly, she stepped out of Kara's grasp. "No, no, that's not necessary." She averted her gaze, not wanting to recognize the hurt look on Kara's face. "I still have to take stock of this mess before I leave."

The Olympian looked at her for a long while, so much so that Lena started to squirm. She clenched her jaw and nodded. "At least promise me that you will take a day off." When Lena opened her mouth, she interjected. "Look, I don't care how many attempts there have been on your life –" There was distaste in Kara's tone "– and I don't care how callous you are about it. I just want you at least have some rest for a day, and then you can go back to being the workaholic you are." Kara huffed. "One attempt is one too many."

Lena's gaze darted down to Kara's hands, which were clenching and unclenching non-stop, as if she couldn't wait to punch someone. Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked up again, and Kara's expression was – still concerned – positively enraged. Beneath her chest, her heart stuttered.

Kara actually _cared_ about her.

She tugged on the tail end of her ponytail, her palms coming off sweaty. "I promise." She may be attracted to Kara. She may never be able to satisfy this attraction of hers. But she and Kara were still friends, despite the secrecy, and the least Lena could do was give her friend a peace of mind. "And remember: I don't make promises easily."

The blonde closed her mouth, having the decency to look at least a little sheepish for doubting Lena. She nodded. "Good." She then looked around her before planting a firm gaze back on Lena. "I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're okay."

There wasn't much else Lena could do or say to refute that, so she stood with Kara, feeling Kara's constantly warm presence next to her, as she watched the officers from all emergency departments do their jobs.

* * *

Grogginess threatened to overtake after three hours spent on the phone with her brother, all of them used to convince her brother that she was okay and he didn't have to take the next redeye to check on her. There were reminders of the various attempts on both of their lives, the surmounting number of enemies they had made since both of them were mature enough to understand how the world worked, and the ease of working at home while waiting for her office to be rebuilt.

At least the three hours did not go to waste as Lex finally agreed, but not without making her promise to call him if something else happened. He was more willing to lose money over a building than his sister. Nevertheless, she was still of the opinion that he could have just listened to her in the first fifteen minutes and save her the time of having to fight sleep to talk to him.

When she finally hung up, it was already eight in the morning, and she had yet to catch a glimpse of sleep. Once again, the droopiness behind her eyes was a reminder of how fragile this mortal vessel was. She couldn't wait for her brother to finally pass so she could return home and be back in her immortality. Sleepiness wouldn't be an issue then, given that people like her only slept for the sake of sleeping.

The tip of her bare lips rose in a small smile when Kara's words washed over her again. " _Call me if you need anything, and for god's sake, get some sleep_."

Kara also didn't forget to threaten her of coming over to her place just to make sure that she had gotten the rest she deserved.

It had undoubtedly been a long night. Detective Maggie Sawyer took another two hours to come back to her, reporting to her that there were no casualties since all the employees had escaped before the explosion, citing an anonymous trigger of the emergency alert. Lena promised to check on the source and find out who sounded it, but she knew what she was going to say when the detective would definitely come looking for her again to follow up on the explosion.

When she sounded the alarm, she had timed it perfectly and made sure that no traces could be found. It was a system that she coded and implemented herself, after all. Not even Lex would be able to find out.

Sometimes, she sure was glad that she was smarter than Lex.

Now that the matter of her office being blown up was halfway settled, another concern rose in Lena's mind. As much as she had gotten used to that woman's venomous intentions towards her – whether verbally or physically – she couldn't quite imagine _her_ being willing to come upon this realm just to torment her here as well. In addition, there was also nothing about Lena being here that could pose a threat to _her_. If anything, _she_ should be relieved that Lena wasn't in the Underworld at the moment.

She raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, taking slow breaths as exhaustion set into her bones. Leaning back against the back of the couch, she closed her eyes, still frowning.

Centuries of being born and out of the way of that woman and Lena still couldn't catch a break. She couldn't think of anything else she could do to appease that woman save for killing herself, which wouldn't be an easy feat in and of itself.

* * *

She was awakened by the ringing of her phone. Grumbling in distaste, she reached out for it and opened her eyes in slits to see who it was that had called her. Kara's name appeared in blurry text. She groaned again as she slid her thumb across the screen to pick up the call.

"Hello?" she greeted, unable to keep the grogginess from her voice.

"Oh, did I wake you up?" Kara asked, sheepish.

Lena rubbed at her eyes and moved to sit upright, wincing at the clinches in her back and neck. She made a note to never fall asleep on the couch again. "Kind of," she muttered, frowning as she tried to blink the sleepiness away. Damn, she was _tired_.

"Sorry," Kara mumbled. "Uh, I just wanted to call and ask if you actually slept, but I'll let you go back to sleep."

The half demon shook her head, even if Kara couldn't see her. "No, no, it's fine." She glanced at the clock, huffing in irritation to see that she had slept later than she should. "I have to get some work done anyway."

On the other end of the connection, she could practically hear Kara roll her eyes. "Lena, you _promised_."

Lena chuckled. "I promised I would sleep. And I did."

"Working is not resting," Kara insisted.

"Would you just let me live my life?" Lena grumbled, even though the smile on her face didn't actually go away. She couldn't force it away if she tried. "I still have a company to run, mind you."

"I'm just worried about you."

"And I appreciate that. But like I told you, I know how to handle myself."

Kara snorted. "Clearly."

"Hey," Lena said in protest. "I'm 24 and still alive. That's saying something." She was actually _much_ older than that, but Kara didn't need to know that. "I'm as healthy as a woman can be."

"Fine, but call –"

"Call you if I need anything, got it."

Kara made a noise of protest. "I care about her and look at what I get. A petulant friend who wouldn't listen to me. See if I care about her again," Kara muttered, and Lena was certain that she didn't mean for her to hear that.

"I'm still here," she reminded.

" _I know_."

She didn't know what it was – there was an inkling that she refused to acknowledge – but talking to Kara had often seemed to have an inexplicable effect on her, as if she could run faster than she ever could – she was already one of the fastest runners in the Underworld. Lightness, she supposed, it wasn't something she had much experience with.

A chuckled escaped. "Hey," she said quietly. Kara hummed in response. Her mouth closed into a smile. "Thank you for calling."

Kara was silent, and Lena waited. Driving Kara Danvers speechless had become her newfavorite hobby, she realized. And then Kara cleared her throat. "You're welcome," she replied with the utmost gravity, understanding what Lena had really meant.

* * *

She was halfway through her email inbox when she picked up the presence, jolting her from focusing on the email that Jess had forwarded to her last night. She lifted her head from her laptop, looking out the window and directing her stare at a nondescript apartment building. It was easily recognizable.

Hades was here and he was with Kara.

A frown appeared at the bridge of her nose. She lifted her laptop from her lap, put it on the coffee table, and uncurled her legs from under her to stand up and make her way towards the balcony. She leaned against the railing, her fingers steepled together as she continued staring with wariness and curiosity at the building.

She had been struggling about whether she should pay the Underworld another visit, if only to clear things up and relieve the doubts that had been resting in her mind. But now, it seemed that she didn't have to anymore.

Lena headed back into the living room and went to the bar, grabbing a bottle of scotch and pouring two glasses. She brought them back into the living room, leaving one on the coffee table and walking back out into the balcony with another one. She drank as she waited.

Forty minutes later, the presence grew much stronger and the man chuckled from behind her. Taking another sip, she took a slow turn to see Hades lounging on her couch, drinking the glass of scotch she had left for him with appreciation. She rested back against the railing, watching him.

"How are you, Lena?" he finally asked, breaching the silence.

She shrugged. "Been better." He nodded in understanding, not saying another word. "What were you doing at Kara's place, Your Majesty?" she asked.

He made a disapproving clicking noise at her choice of addressing him. "I was simply paying a visit with my other favorite child," he answered, nonchalance coating his voice.

She narrowed her eyes. "You have been on this realm two times in less than a month. Normally, you would not even be here if you did not have to," she commented. "I hope you were not trying to reveal my identity, as you advised me against."

"Certainly not, Lena. I am smarter than that." He looked offended that she would even suggest that. "I had something I needed to discuss with Kara."

"What?"

He stared at her for a long while before shaking his head. "Something you do not need to know," he simply replied. "I am sure you have questions for me."

She clenched her jaw. Hades had always been enigmatic, giving one word answers coated with mystery and secrecy while not necessarily lying. He was good at that. And she hated this behavior of his, but she had never sounded her opinion out loud. Perhaps she should, so he could stop being so secretive with her.

"Your secret is safe, Lena," he reassured.

She tightened her grip on the glass she was holding. She remained rooted on the balcony. "Do you know who it was, Your Majesty?" she asked.

"I have a suspicion. Or should we say suspicions?" She raised her brows at him. "I do not think it is her," he said, pointing out where _her_ suspicion lied. "I paid Lillian a visit and she seemed adamant that she would never step foot on this realm even if I order her to. But then again, you and I both know that she is a master at deception."

"Whoever it is, they should know that a _bomb_ cannot kill me easily."

He hummed in agreement. "Perhaps they simply want to scare you."

She crossed her arms, the glass dangling from her fingertips. "They need to do better than that," she said coldly.

He smiled at her with pride. "There she is," he whispered. "You have always been brave."

"Who else do you think could have done it?" she asked.

"Remember when I told you about the Fates?" Her eyes widened. "Like I told you, it is still just a suspicion. I am still unable to get in touch with them, and I do not wish to approach my brothers for help. However, they could have something to do with it."

"The Fates never leave the mountain," she stressed.

He inclined his head. "That is true. So I am suspecting someone else." His lips curled in a mocking smile. "Do you remember one hundred years ago when a young man was particularly interested in you?"

She blinked a couple of times. "Mon-El?"

"Mon-El," he confirmed.

"I –" She heaved a sardonic laughter, pushing away from the railing and making a quick way into the living room so she was standing in front of Hades. "Are you telling me that I might have been attacked because a guy did not understand what 'no' means?"

"Mon-El has never been much of a mature man," he commented. "Furthermore, I have received word that he has gone missing."

"I would have felt him!" she exclaimed, unable to keep the incredulity from her voice, which made her voice a pitch higher.

"He is a weak one among us," he reasoned.

"Your Majesty –"

He held up a hand, stopping her. "I understand that you are displeased; as am I. To risk civilians and innocent humans just because of pettiness or some other bigger plan that might be at play here is unforgivable. Plus, to give me more reasons to come here, it is disgusting." His lips curled in a sneer as he displayed a shudder. "I promise I will look into it and inform you. You are, of course, allowed to conduct an investigation of your own, but only if you keep your identity under wraps."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

After a second, she lowered her gaze to her feet, struggling between whether she should ask him the question or not. She had been doing her best to keep them out of her mind since his last visit, because she truly did not want to even fathom thee idea that they could have a hand in this, and things certainly didn't seem to be so bad that she would have to consider them. But Hades kept bringing them up and she just couldn't stop herself from thinking it.

She should have tried harder in talking her brother down from drinking the Lethe waters and rising to this realm because of a mere mortal. She should have tried harder in asserting that she just wasn't fit for the responsibility of looking after Lex. She should have tried harder in convincing Hades that there had to be someone better, someone like Veronica would be much better than she was.

This mess probably wouldn't even be a thing if she had tried harder. She probably would still be playing fetch with Cerberus and not having to worry about a thing other than keeping her identity a secret. Kara probably wouldn't be present in her life, disrupting almost every single notion she had about the Olympians.

She sighed. "What if…what if the Fates are really a part of this?" There was already a sinking feeling in her stomach at the mere thought of it. She had heard stories about the Fates, and she wasn't sure she liked them. They didn't seem like really nice people.

She was _terrified_.

Hades tilted his head; he was looking at her like he knew why she needed to hold her glass with two hands. "Lena, I will not let them harm you," he promised.

Her lids fell to her cheeks as she sucked in a breath. "Not even Zeus can tell them what to do," she reminded him.

"Lena," he pronounced again, prompting her to open her eyes. His blue eyes were firm but warm; his lips were tugged into a stern but gentle line. "I will not let them harm you."

She took a long while to finally nod her assent. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

At this moment, as troublesome as it was, she wished it was just Mon-El pulling his usual childish act to get her attention. It would be the easiest to resolve out of the three options that Hades had presented.

* * *

 **i can't stop writing hades :-) i love hades? oh and i changed it up and made mon-el obsessed with lena instead of kara, because it can only work this way for my story to carry out**

 **feed me with comments and favorites because they validate me**


	7. tangled swirls and lines

**listen, i'm sorry. i am so sorry. i promised weekly updates and i didn't update this for a month. coursework and internship applications and family issues and health issues have been hounding my ass and i couldn't find the time to write it. also, writer's block is a bitch whenever i try to. still, _at least_ i'm updating right? yay! don't kill me. **

**in this chapter, you'll see sanvers introduction, supercorp texts, and kara being an idiot almost in love. also, HADES MY MAN**

 **anyway, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Once upon a time, Kara used to be happy. There was lightness and optimism, and no one had ever doubted that she would always be light and optimistic. She lived up to her name – Goddess of Cherish – and blessed the mortals and sometimes even immortals with appreciation for the things they have and the things they didn't and the things they would. She wrote her own scripts and scrolls, and offered them to the library and the world. She skipped and danced and laughed and her blue eyes never lost that glint.

Well, that was once upon a time – beautiful and ethereal.

It was taken and twisted and mangled by Ares' greed and jealousy, and while she still loved her brother – for reasons she couldn't comprehend – she hated him for doing that to her. When her gaze took in the world now, there were human beings living their lives past the war, but there was always the reminder of what had been wreaked – the disgusting qualities that existed within these souls.

She was not as foolish as to think that Ares was the only one responsible for triggering the war. Before him, there were already wars and battles, discrimination and prejudice, voracity and antipathy. Humans were already _less than_ ; Ares only refined it.

Sometimes, she wished that Diana hadn't gone as far as to kill him, just so that Kara could face him once more and tell him that she _understood_. But just because she understood didn't mean she agreed; just because she understood didn't mean she would tolerate him bringing the politics and the existing paltriness in Olympus down to the mortal realm; just because she understood didn't mean she would let him ruin the one place she could escape to.

Alex had once asked her why she would choose to stay here when she had personally seen the things the mortals could do.

"Just look at them, Alex," Kara answered. "They're just the same as us, only weaker. But hey, at least there is no Zeus here."

One of the few people who had lamented with her carried an opposite taste for the mortals, and refused to come here as much as he could, and that person was standing in her living room, reading a CatCo magazine that she had set on the coffee table with a mysterious smile.

She blinked, eyes widening with each blink, unable to believe that he was actually here. She hadn't been to the Underworld for quite some time, but she had made a plan to go down soon just to talk to him about the rogue demon and acquire some understanding – she would much rather trust him than her father, go figure. It seemed like she didn't have to make the extra effort now.

"Uncle?" she squeaked, closing her door behind her.

He looked up from the magazine and smiled at her. "Hello, Kara," he greeted, putting the magazine back down and crossing the room to her in long strides, engulfing her in an embrace she didn't know she had missed. Gladly, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. "I have missed you."

She closed her eyes, allowing his warmth to seep into her. One more thing she hated about the mortals was the way they dragged his name through the mud, because he was one of the kindest and warmest soul she had ever encountered. "I missed you too," she whispered.

When he finally drew back, he held onto her arms. "How are you, child?" he asked. Genuineness and sincerity painted his voice, marking yet another difference between him and her actual father. He had been more of a paternal figure to her than Zeus.

She nodded in assurance. "I am doing as well as I can be." She didn't say she was fine anymore. She hadn't been fine since she had to involve herself in a war against her own brother. "What are you doing here, uncle?"

"Am I not allowed to visit my favorite niece every once in awhile?" he teased, making himself comfortable at the dining table as she grabbed two cans of beer from the fridge. Alex wouldn't mind if she knew. He stared at the beer for a moment before asking, "You do not have scotch?"

Kara frowned. "Where did you even learn of that thing?" Obligingly, she brandished a bottle of scotch that was already half empty from her cabinet, and then a glass from another, filling it with ice before pouring the drink. She slid it across the table towards him before sitting down, opening her can of beer.

"I like scotch," Hades said, ignoring her question and drinking the scotch with an appreciative hum. "The one thing that the mortals have gotten right."

She hummed. "I don't know. They're doing pretty well on their own as of now," she commented.

He smirked, lacking all humor. "Really." That wasn't even a question. Of course, he had seen far more, given that he had to pass judgement on a daily basis, and who knew how many he had to banish to Tartarus? But then again, there was quite a population in Elysium and the Fields of Asphodel.

"So," she started, looking at him, "what are you doing here, really?"

"Just for a visit."

She narrowed her eyes. "You hate this place."

He nodded without denying her claim. "Yes, I most certainly do." He then chuckled. "Spring is nigh."

Then it dawned on her. The suspicion in her was replaced by sorrow and sympathy. She wanted to reach out and touch his hand, but refrained from doing so. Her uncle was not someone who showed weakness – that hug just now was a rare show of affection. "Then why are you not spending as much time as you can with her?"

Broad shoulders lifted in a shrug; his gaze remained glued to the glass. "As much as I adore Cora, it would be unwise of me to ignore my duties."

"That's why you're here." He inclined his head in agreement. "Is this about Lex Luthor?" He looked up at her, his eyes flashing as he received the confirmation she had just given him, his fingers clenching tighter around the glass. "I swear, this brother of mine," he sighed, shaking his head in irritation.

"Will never stay out of people's hairs," she finished for him.

"You would think he would at least do me the honor of consulting me first."

She snorted. "He's got too much pride for that."

"Then why in Olympus would he give me Tartarus?"

"Because he is also lazy."

He barked out a laugh. "I suppose that is true." They allowed a moment of silence. "Has Lex been causing trouble?"

"I thought you see all."

"Who knows if I might have missed something?"

Has Lex Luthor been causing trouble? Well, it really depended on what kind of trouble he meant. Because to her, bringing Lena Luthor into her life counted as trouble. That woman was definitely one of the most difficult people to grasp, and humans were _easy_. They were either this or that, but Lena was this _and_ that, and Kara was on the verge of jumping to her feet and triggering her powers just to fly over and see to it that Lena was safe and _sleeping_.

She cast her eyes over Lex's shoulder, seeing LexCorp's office building easily, the top of it already in the process of reconstruction. Come to think of it, did Lena go back to her office? Honestly, Kara wouldn't be surprised if she did.

"Kara?" She looked back to her companion, who was watching her curiously. She cleared her throat. Yes, this was a thing she did these days: thinking about Lena almost all the time. James had to snap his fingers in her face just this afternoon to tear her thoughts away from the woman. "You did not answer my question."

"No, he hasn't done anything," she concluded. "Tell me, does he have a sister?"

Hades was a champion for hiding feelings. So much so that not even Zeus and Poseidon – his own _brothers_ – could never really grasp his emotions. They would think that he was going to go one direction, and then he would surprise everyone by going in the other. Only Persephone could truly understand his decisions and actions. Kara, for one, wasn't as good as his wife, but she was certainly not as bad as his brothers. At times, she would catch signs and then hide her smirk to wait for him to surprise everyone.

He surprised her this time with the clenching of his jaw and the carefulness that seeped into his eyes. She blinked. "Before you say anything, please don't lie to me."

Naturally, he just stood up, buttoning his jacket and then downing the glass of scotch. "It is good to see you, Kara. You might want to come and visit Cora before she returns to her mother. She misses you."

"Uncle –"

"Kara," he cut her off, looking at her pleadingly. "If you see your father anytime soon, tell him there is no need to worry about Lex. I have someone watching him." A portal was conjured, hanging in the middle of the room. He made his way towards it, but before he entered, he turned back to her with a melancholic smile. "Lex fell in love, Kara. My brother may not be able to understand that sentiment, but I am sure you can find it in you to be able to do so."

And then he was gone.

She frowned at the empty space that Hades had previously occupied. And then there was whimpering at her feet. Bench was there, nuzzling her feet, probably asking for food. She knelt and scooped him up; scratching him under his chin as she absentmindedly fetched the bag of kibbles and poured some into his bowl. Once he was happily munching his dinner, she sat on the floor next to him, thinking about what had just happened.

* * *

"Kara, there's a Detective Sawyer looking for you," James announced as he poked his head into her office, frowning at her. "What did you do?"

The name sounded familiar. She dug into her head to think of where she had heard that name before. And when she remembered, she stood up. "What is she doing here?" she muttered to herself, but loud enough for James to hear. He stood aside to let her through and followed her through the hallway and down the aisles of cubicles towards the tiny detective standing at the reception.

"Miss Danvers," the detective greeted. "I'm sorry to pop in unannounced."

Kara clasped her hands at her stomach. "What can I do for you, detective?"

"Right." She seemed surprised at Kara's straightforwardness, and judging by the noise that James had made just now, he was too. She wasn't normally so forward, but she had naturally connected the detective's name to Lena, and she was worried about her friend. "I need you to come down to the precinct with me to record a statement," Detective Sawyer said.

"What? Why?"

The detective shook her head. "I can't tell you anything here."

Kara looked around her, catching the clock that was placed on the wall. "Do I have to be there now?"

"No, you can come by when you're done with work. Just ask for me."

"You couldn't have just – I don't know – called?"

The other woman's lips tugged into a thin line, like she was hiding something. She shoved her hands into her back pockets. "Like I said, Miss Danvers, I can't say anything here."

"I –" Kara closed her mouth, resisting from snapping at the detective. She really couldn't help it. She just wanted to know if Lena was going to be in any more danger. That way, she could prepare herself for any moment of actually using her powers, which she had been reining in for decades – _centuries_. "I'll be there once I get off work."

Detective Sawyer nodded in appreciation. "Thank you. I'll get out of your hair then." She nodded at James and then left.

"What was that?" James asked.

Kara licked her lips. "Probably something to do with Lena Luthor's office blowing up last Saturday." Kara pulled out her phone, opening her message thread with Lena.

James cocked his brows. "What does that have to do with you?"

"I was there," she replied, typing out a message to Lena asking if she was okay.

"What?"

She bit her lip, waiting for her text to be read. Lena was a busy person, yes, but she just needed to _know_.

"Kara."

"James," Kara snapped. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, mindful to not break her phone. She wouldn't be able to see Lena's reply if she did. "I just – Look, I know Lena. She's my friend. And her building blew up. And I was there because I was worried. And now the police want a statement. End of story."

"No, not end of story. Since when did you know Lena Luthor?"

So Kara told him about Snapper and the conference and Lex Luthor and sitting next to Lena Luthor and rescuing a puppy with Lena Luthor and watching Lena Luthor's office explode from her own loft. Of course, she didn't mention being completely enthralled with Lena Luthor at first sight, wanting to know everything about Lena Luthor, curious about how Lena Luthor managed to save the puppy in ten minutes, or failing to keep her thoughts away from Lena Luthor.

Or that Lena Luthor might be a demon and Kara still couldn't stop worrying about her.

She didn't think she would be able to put them into words. These were things that couldn't be worded – things that she still couldn't find words for. If Cat or Snapper had known about her current wordlessness over this whole Lena situation, they would probably smack her over the head and threaten to fire her.

 _You are a journalist, Kiera._ _ **Find**_ _them_. Cat's voice echoed in her head.

"Right," James said, but Kara didn't pay him any more attention when her phone buzzed in her hand and she quickly lifted it in front of her.

 _Lena (1:09 p.m.): Yes, I'm fine. Why?_

"Kara –"

She hummed in question, looking at him, struggling to not feel the irritation that was beginning to rise in her at him for not leaving her alone. She liked him – she did. James was an honest-to-god good guy and she enjoyed being his friend and conversing with him. She enjoyed learning about his girlfriend, Lucy – hell, she even _helped_ him with getting a date with Lucy in the first place. She loved all the photographs he took and made sure to always attach them in her articles because they were just too good.

But right now, she just really couldn't give a _shit_. There was a text waiting for her reply. There was a looming question that Alex had brought up and Hades further intensified. There was a statement she had to make tonight. There was a woman who she wasn't even sure _was_ a woman. There was too much and James was just not enough to make it onto her list of concerns right now.

She wished she could go back to last night, so she could tell Hades that yes, Lex Luthor was giving her too much trouble. Sure, he wasn't doing anything that could potentially harm the mortals. But _seriously_ , her life felt like it was being flipped upside down because of her duty to watch him and with that brought her into her life Lena Luthor.

So, before James could open his mouth, Kara said, "Sorry, James. We'll have to talk later. I've still got an article to finish and Snapper will have my head if he doesn't have a draft by tonight." It was not technically untrue, but that article wasn't really topping her list of concerns right now. Still, anything to get out of this useless conversation until she had the time and attention to actually get into it.

 _Kara (1:11 p.m.): The detective from Saturday just came to CatCo_

The door to her office shut behind her, and she sat down at her desk, looking at her laptop that was displaying the unfinished article. The indicator was blinking at the tail end of the unfinished sentence, and she couldn't even remember what she intended to write before James came in. It was taunting her, laughing at her for finally picking up the mortal vice of hormones and dopamine and OCD symptoms over a beautiful woman.

She didn't even know her body was capable of these things!

 _Lena (1:17 p.m.): Why?_

Snapper would _really_ have her head if she did not give him a draft at the end of the day. But she still picked up her phone, leaning back against her chair and opening the message thread she shared with Lena.

 _Kara (1:17 p.m.): She wanted a statement from me_

 _Lena (1:18 p.m.): What for?_

 _Kara (1:18 p.m.): I'm not sure. She said she can't tell me._

 _Lena (1:18 p.m.): Kara, you're a journalist.  
Lena (1:18 p.m.): It's your job to find out _

She stared at the words that Lena had just sent her. Did – did she just call her out? The blonde's eyes darted towards the unfinished article and then back to Lena's text. The detective's voice was small in her head, repeating the phrase that she couldn't tell Kara anything.

But she didn't say that she couldn't tell Kara _when_ she would be at the precinct.

Kara heaved a chuckle, her fingers rubbed at her forehead as she stared at her phone in disbelief. Turned out Snapper and Cat didn't need to be here to remind her of her job, Lena did it for them.

 _Kara (1:22 p.m.): I'll let you know if I find out anything_

 _Lena (1:23 p.m.): Thank you_.

Thing were far from being resolved. Questions were still milling about in her head. Doubts were still present in her chest. The urge to ignite her powers just so she could find out the truth about Lena was still lingering. But for now, knowing that Lena was safe and okay, Kara could get back to work. And she would be damned if she didn't submit the draft to Snapper tonight.

* * *

Despite the time she had spent here, Kara had never actually been to a precinct, and it may sound dumb but she was kind of nervous, which was why she reached out to her sister to ask for company. She was starting to regret that decision.

"I regret asking you to come with me."

"I can't believe a goddess is afraid of some puny people in blue," Alex commented again once they had gotten out of the cab and stood in front of the National City Police Department precinct building.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Stop it," she grumbled.

Alex snorted, huffing a laugh. "I literally can't."

"You're the worst sister ever," Kara said, tugging on Alex's arm to enter the building.

"I'm still the best though."

Television shows and movies always made out the cops to be incredibly busy people, where they never stop moving to solve one case or another. There would be whiteboards and blackboards and everything in between, filled with hastily scribbled notes and bad photos and strings linking one thing to another. There would be coffee cups and fit physiques and yelling across the pen.

Television shows and movies were lying. Instead of police officers milling around the room, there were disgruntled people sitting at cubicles and commoners sitting on benches or the chairs at the cubicles. Instead of whiteboards and blackboards completely filled to the edge, those things were neat and the photos were not half bad. The coffee cups were true, but the physiques were beer bellies and the yelling was just chatter of inside jokes.

"Huh," Kara and Alex intoned at the same time, obviously taken aback by the scene in front of them.

She stepped up to the nearest cubicle, where a man was sitting and nibbling at the top of a pencil as he seemed to be trying to burn the piece of paper in front of him by his intimidating – not really – glare. "Excuse me."

He looked up, and she was surprised by utter relief in his eyes. She almost wanted to take a step back. "Yes?" he asked.

She swallowed. "Um, I'm looking for Detective Maggie Sawyer."

He raised his brows. "Who's asking?"

"Kara. Kara Danvers. She asked me to come down here to make a statement?" It sounded more like a question, but she really wasn't sure of anything. She would never trust television shows and movies again.

He hummed, eying her with narrowed eyes, not hiding the way he was checking her out. She could already sense Alex bristling behind her. Not that she would blame her sister; she almost wanted to punch him herself. "Right," he drawled. And then he threw his head back, yelling, "Is Sawyer here?"

"Keep it down, Fulton," a familiar voice piped up, followed up by the exact woman she was looking for standing up at a faraway cubicle. "Oh, Miss Danvers, you made it." She maneuvered her way through the aisles until she was standing in front of Kara. She took notice of Alex and frowned. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is my sister, Alex," Kara introduced, gesturing at the redheaded woman.

"I'm Maggie. Detective Maggie Sawyer," the detective intoned, offering a hand to Alex.

Alex's eyes were narrowed, but at least she shook the proffered hand. Baby steps, Kara said to herself. "Yeah, I gathered." Or maybe not.

The two of them stayed staring at each other for quite awhile, so much so that Kara was beginning to feel like _she_ was the one accompanying Alex, instead of the other way around. It was only when Kara cleared her throat that Detective Sawyer redirected her attention back to her.

"She needs to wait here."

Kara nodded. "Yes, I know."

Detective Sawyer hummed, glancing at Alex minutely before nodding. "Okay, follow me."

The blonde threw Alex a look, pleading her to not get up to any shenanigans while she was away. Kara was sure she would only be away for no longer than fifteen minutes, but knowing Alex, she could pull off a lot in less time. Sometimes, she wondered why Alex was the Goddess of Order and not Goddess of Chaos. Her sister seemed more capable of the latter rather than the former.

"I'll be good," Alex said. And Kara wanted to be reassured, but Alex just _had_ to go and wink with a smirk.

Kara struggled to not ask the detective if she could bring her sister with her, so that Alex could keep her shenanigans in a confined space and not out in the open. She was really starting to regret reaching out to Alex this afternoon.

A statement certainly did not warrant the interrogation room, but the interrogation room she ended up in. The detective made sure all the blinds were drawn, which only went to intensify the nerves that Kara knew was already leaping. She handed Kara a piece of paper.

"You just need to write your statement here."

Kara stared at the paper. "I'm just really not sure what I should be writing about."

Detective Sawyer looked at her as if she was an alien, which wasn't too far from the truth. She cleared her throat and sat down opposite Kara. "Write about why you were there, your relationship with Miss Luthor, and what you saw."

"I –" Kara gulped and then nodded. "Okay." She picked up the pen and started filling out the details, pausing every few seconds to make sure that she wasn't inputting too much personal details and more facts. It shouldn't be difficult; her job as a journalist was pretty much the same, only the environment was less anxious. When she was done, she slid the paper across to the detective. "I wasn't really there when the explosion happened, so I'm really not sure how I can help." Detective Sawyer only hummed in acknowledgement, reading her statement. "Why do you need a statement from me, detective?"

Detective Sawyer peered at her over the edge of the report. "You seem close to Lena Luthor," she said slowly, dropping the paper to fully direct her attention at Kara.

"We're friends. I was worried about Lena."

"Do you know if she's got any enemies?"

"We're _recent_ friends," Kara corrected.

The detective tilted her head. "You sure didn't look like recent friends."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "What exactly did you find out?"

The other woman leaned back in her chair. "Lena Luthor recently became a high profile figure, what with her taking control of the National City branch of LexCorp. We would just like to get everything covered."

"You're saying I might have a hand in it?"

"I'm not saying anything."

"You sound like you are."

"What are the chances that five minutes before the building blew up, Lena Luthor just so happened to be grabbing coffee? Outside her building, no less. There's a coffee machine in the pantry," the detective offered.

"Her _building_ didn't blow up; her _office_ did," Kara stressed. "Now you're saying that she might have planted the bomb _herself_?"

"Like I said, we would just like to get everything covered."

"No, it sounds like you want to charge Lena for something she didn't do."

"And how would you know?"

"Oh my god," Kara whispered, heaving a mirthless chuckle at the utter ridiculousness of this conversation. "You're kidding, right?"

The detective kept looking at her, like she was gauging her. And then it was like she made a snap decision and she moved forward to lean against the table. "Listen, I don't know you. I don't know your relationship with Lena Luthor. But so far, this entire precinct is convinced that she set herself up – not without reason. We have evidences that are pointing towards her. Still, I saw her that night. I saw you with her that night. I know you're close with her. So I'm telling you my personal opinion: I don't think she did it. But my opinion doesn't amount to a hill of beans, not when I can't find anything that says she didn't do it."

"Well then, _find something_ ," Kara snapped, glaring at the woman in front of her. "She didn't do it."

"Your word alone isn't enough, Miss Danvers. I need _concrete_ proof."

Kara frowned. "Wait, why are you telling me this?"

"I can't trust people who won't trust me."

Her frown deepened in confusion. When it finally dawned on her, her eyes widened. "You want me to help you."

"You're a journalist. Isn't it your job to find out things?"

"I'm not an _investigative_ journalist."

"Well then, I suggest you start being one now. Or we're gonna charge your friend with attempted murder and larceny, and there won't be anything I can do about it."

"You could get fired."

"I'm a cop, Miss Danvers. It's my job to help people prove their innocence or the other way around."

Kara wasn't even sure what was happening right now. She came in here to make a statement and _be_ a journalist, and she might end up going out committing a crime herself for obstruction of justice. It was wrong on so many levels, but from what the detective had told her, she couldn't think of much else that could help her help Lena.

And even if Lena might be a demon – she wasn't sure if she was willing to find out yet – Lena certainly wouldn't blow up her own office. Kara had that much confidence in her friend.

So she nodded. "Okay."

The detective raised her brows. "Yeah?"

Kara nodded again. "Yeah, okay."

"Good." Detective Sawyer dug out a card from under her jacket and handed it to Kara. "Call me if you find out anything." She stood up, followed by Kara. She stopped at the door. "And if we're going to start working together, you should start calling me Maggie."

Kara blinked. "Kara, then."

Detective – _Maggie_ – offered her a genuine smile this time. "Miss Luthor's lucky to have you as a friend," she imparted before opening the door and gesturing for Kara to exit.

Kara rejoined her sister, and wondered what the heck she had gotten herself into.

* * *

 **i just want an episode where i don't have to hear or see mon-el, is that really too much to ask?**


	8. trying to reteach herself

**guys, if you are fic writers yourselves, do not ever make promises of when you'll update. they are almost never fulfilled. but hey, as long as you update, you're good. i applaud you.**

 **(applaud me! i tried!)**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

The last time Lena had slept in, it was when she finally submitted her doctoral thesis and there was finally a chance for her to not spend hours upon hours thinking about the wordings and the materials and the structure. Sure, she didn't have to do that – it was amazing how easily manipulated mortals could be, especially the older lonely male species – but her experience growing up had morphed her into someone who needed to prove her worth no matter what.

Perhaps something good had come out of that explosion of her office; she considered as she hummed under her breath and stirred the coffee. She settled on the couch, ignoring the stacks of paperwork that Jess had sent over yesterday and the open laptop on the coffee table, endeavoring in relishing the dark liquid first. She made a noise of appreciation on her first sip.

Honestly, one of the two best things that humans had invented, the other being scotch.

Her morning bliss was interrupted by a buzz, alarming her to a visitor. She snorted to herself. She shouldn't have been too quick in giving favorable points to the bomber. The displeasure in her dissipated quickly when she saw on the camera that it was Kara standing at her door. The coffee was deposited on the table as she stood up, making a beeline towards the door and opening it.

"Kara," she greeted with a smile. Kara smiled back, but Lena was perceptive enough to discern that along with gladness, there were also hints of doubt and reservation in her expression. "Good morning." Card games with Hades, Persephone, and her brother had taught her many things, one of which was to keep a poker face no matter which side of the win-lose continuum she was on, and she adopted it now as she looked at her friend.

Subtlety apparently wasn't something that the goddess had practiced, judging by the way she finally took in Lena's appearance and just froze, mouth hanging slightly open. Unable to help herself, Lena smirked as she relaxed her posture against her door, willing to wait for her fellow immortal friend to regain her composure. Except it didn't seem that Kara was really recovering after minutes passed and she was still gaping.

"Kara," she pronounced. No response. She rolled her eyes, pushing away from the door and reaching out to touch Kara's arm. "Kara," she repeated.

Kara jolted from the touch, blinking rapidly and smiling sheepishly. "Um, hi, sorry," she muttered, adjusting her glasses. She gestured at Lena's outfit, clearing her throat. "I just…I've never seen you in casual clothes before," she said. She took a moment longer and then nodded. "You look good."

Lena's smile widened. "Thank you. You never texted me back about your visit to the precinct," she reminded, raising her brows.

"Right," Kara said, lowering her gaze to her feet. "That's what I'm here for, actually."

The raven haired woman watched Kara for a few stilted seconds. There was a certain skittishness to the way Kara was behaving, and Lena wondered for a moment if she _knew_. Rather than calling Kara out on it, Lena stepped back to free up a space. "Want to come in?"

"Oh, sure! Yeah, thank you." She walked in and lingered at the threshold, her eyes roving over the space that Lena called hers. "Your place is…nice," she hesitated, no doubt having noticed the barrenness of the space.

The lack of personal effects was something that was done on purpose. No point trying to decorate it with them when she owned none. And she wasn't willing to just go out and buy things to fake it. Lena was already faking this lifetime until Lex had given up or succeeded in his quest; she wasn't going to fake more just to play up to the societal expectations of homely appearances. She herself was a personal effect, and that, to Lena, was enough.

Lena hummed. "Yes, Lex said the same thing."

Kara at least had the decency to look embarrassed at being called out. "Sorry," she said.

"Coffee?" The CEO moved to the kitchen, motioning at the coffee machine.

"Yes, that'd be nice." Lena poured the coffee. "Do you not have…things?" Kara asked after a few seconds, as if she couldn't keep it in anymore. Lena laughed quietly when she heard Kara cursing herself quietly in the living room.

"These are my things," Lena announced, indicating the objects placed strategically across the place while handing the mug over to Kara. "Sit, sit," she commanded as she sat on the couch and took her own coffee cup that she had abandoned just now. "You know, you could have just texted or called."

"I know that," Kara said. She cleared her throat and played with the handle of her mug. "I just…wanted to see if you're still…you know, handling yourself."

"I always have."

Kara lifted her eyes again. "You look like you've been sleeping. That's more than I can ask for," she said good-naturedly.

"Yes, well, I _am_ human, after all."

She watched Kara closely; watched as she bit her lower lip; watched as she looked like she was contemplating two million thoughts at once; watched as she made a decision and plastered on a smile that seemed too forced to be trustful. "Yes, you are," she muttered.

Lena could only smile. Kara knew, and she wasn't going to call Lena out on it. She couldn't quite figure out why, and she certainly wasn't going to call Kara out on her deception for _her_ deception when she wasn't certain. She may consider Kara her friend – perhaps her only friend on this realm – but she had also been trying too hard to hide herself for eons; one woman whom she was vastly attracted to was not going to destroy her efforts.

Perhaps the visit back to the Underworld shouldn't be delayed any longer, even though the King had just been here two nights ago – that could mean only several hours there. She supposed he would be pleased to find her back in her element. Maybe she could also sit down with Persephone before the woman left to be with her mother again.

"So what happened at the precinct?" she asked.

"Have you made any enemies?"

"My brother runs one of the most successful companies in the world, and I am the CEO of a branch. I'm pretty sure I've made enemies I haven't even met," Lena offered with a scoff.

"The detective wanted me to drop a statement because she thinks you and I are close friends."

The CEO tilted her head. "You're hiding something." Funny how she was able to sense the unease in Kara after just a couple of conversations. She decided not to dwell on it. Nothing good would come of it.

That look on her friend's face, as if she was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar, was enough indication of Lena's correctness in her presumption. Lena kept her smirk in place, lifting her cup to her lips. Kara would tell her in time.

"Are _you_?" Kara asked. When Lena looked at her, she was avoiding Lena's gaze, opting to play with her mug instead. A frown had appeared at the bridge of her nose.

Huh, so she figured it out. But then again, there were still doubts that translated into the fidgets of Kara's movements, so maybe Kara _hadn't_ figured it out. Perhaps she was having suspicions. "Isn't it too early in our friendship to start sharing secrets?" Lena opted instead.

"The cops think you're the one who planted the bomb," Kara said in quick succession, and then her chest deflated as she released an exhale.

Lena honestly wanted to be surprised, like any normal person would when they were accused with such a thing. Nevertheless, all the questions surrounding this incident had long since diminished the surprise element of it. She would rather spend her time finding out who the true perpetrator behind this mess was than to display fake outrage over an overtly common accusation.

She had borne enough witness to squabbles of similar sort in the Underworld. Between demons, between demons and souls, and between souls.

At Lena's silence, Kara's frown only deepened. "I told Detective Sawyer you didn't."

Now, _that_ was surprising. Given that the seeds of doubts about her origin had already been planted, it would be less surprising for Kara – an Olympian – to go along with the lines of questioning that the law enforcement was undoubtedly already carrying out.

The King and Queen of the Underworld were firm in their stance that Kara was no common Olympian, almost as noble as Diana Prince who chose to reside in Paris. And Lena may not know her long, but their interactions so far had also informed her that Kara was unlike other Olympians. Still, the fruit did not fall far from the tree or something like that.

Lena hated to be wrong, but she would glad to be wrong about this.

"Thank you," she offered with sincerity, nodding at Kara. "I may be a businesswoman – some may even say I am ruthless, but that comes with being a woman in the STEM industry – but I would not go as far as threatening my employees' lives for personal gain. Besides, there _is_ no personal gain."

"Do you know who could've done this?"

Probably not a wise idea to let Kara know that it may either be three old ladies with immense power, a demon who didn't know how to take no for an answer, or her stepmother who had always hated her, or even _all_ of them working together. Honestly, Lena didn't even want to entertain that last idea; damn her overactive imagination that came up with it last night.

"The list could go on for pages, starting from Mike from elementary school, Lily and Heather from boarding school –"

"Lena."

"I don't know," the raven haired woman replied, cutting Kara a glance. She shrugged, waving her fingers in the air.

Fuck nice mornings. They never existed. A former pursuer of hers, her stepmother, and the fucking controllers of fates were probably coming after for whatever thwarted fucking reason they had, and she simply did not have the time to deal fucking men in blue. Okay, so maybe she wasn't as indifferent about this as she told herself to be.

But come _on_. She may be a hybrid spawn of an unwanted tryst between an overbearing and absentee father and a mother who died too young, but she wasn't _cruel_ and _heartless_. The mortals were awful, yes, but they also existed and _lived_. They had the privilege of having _that_ – lives – and she would never allow her jealousy to get in the way of that.

She didn't make the choice to be born, just like they didn't make the choice to be _made_. Zeus had long since taken that choice from all of them. If she wanted to actually reveal herself and allow everyone to have a glimpse of her strength, she would have taken it up with him. Perhaps she might even win.

"There's a reason I kept myself behind the curtains, you know," she started after downing her cup of coffee. She felt Kara shift beside her. "I knew that my status and my identity will become a problem rather than a blessing." How many times had she wished that her mother had never caught her father's eyes? Things would be so much simpler. Hades, for example, had gone through so much trouble to keep her hidden, just to avoid Zeus' wrath. "But my brother, bless his soul –" Truly "– wanted people to know about me. He wanted the world to understand that _he_ is not the smartest person, because _I_ am smarter. Where do you find a brother like that? Nowhere. So I gave in, I said yes, but I told him I don't want to be in Metropolis. If I'm going to be in a spotlight, I might as well do it somewhere I can actually build my own spotlight, you know." She scoffed at herself. "Well, I suppose I did build one; it blows up. Go figure."

Kara was quiet next to her for a few moments, and then she said, "Maggie's the only one who doesn't you were behind it, but she can't find any proof. I'm helping her."

Lena frowned, turning to Kara. "Maggie?"

"Detective Sawyer, the one we met that night."

"Oh." She blinked twice, and then she sat upright. "Kara, that's dangerous," she hissed, pushing closer to the blonde. "You're basically obstructing justice."

"I'm _facilitating_ justice," Kara retorted. "They're blaming you for no apparent reason other than you deciding to grab coffee five minutes before the explosion. I'm not letting them arrest you for that."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't." Kara fixed her with a look. "Just tell me one thing: did you or did you not do it?"

Immediately, Lena answered, "I did not."

Kara nodded, patting her lap and standing up as she shouldered her backpack. "Well, there we have it then. I'm helping Maggie."

Lena stood up with her, blocking her path. "Kara, come on."

"Lena, you're my friend. This is what friends are for." Kara offered a warm smile, leaning forward to hug Lena. Her moment of frustration didn't take long to melt into nothingness; in its place was surrender to the warmth and a complete crackdown of her previous reservation about the Olympian. "Now, I gotta get to work, or my editor's going to yell at me again." She tried hard not to shiver at the way Kara's breath felt against her ear.

When Kara drew back, Lena had to work hard to not whimper in mourning the loss of the warmth. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble, you hear me?" Lena demanded.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kara said as she headed towards the door. "Oh, and Bench misses you. Make sure to visit sometime."

"You actually name him _Bench_?"

Kara shrugged. "It's an appropriate name."

"The first thing I do when I see him again is disown him."

"You wouldn't have the heart to. See you later!" Kara bade again before she went out and shut the door behind her.

Lena could only look at the door with a helpless smile, and then she dropped back to the couch. The paperwork was calling for her name, demanding to be dealt with. There were more urgent matters at hand, though. She could get away for a couple of days, citing the need to recoup. Lex would say yes immediately, because he loved her that much.

Paperwork could wait.

* * *

"Did my husband not just visit you?"

Lena laughed, sitting down opposite Persephone. A chess set was waiting on the stone table. Persephone had definitely anticipated her coming. "Time is a funny thing, isn't it, Your Majesty?"

"And how much more of it do I have to spend to have you stop addressing me like that?" the Queen naturally questioned in return as she gestured at the chess set for Lena to get started.

"It may be wiser for you to give up on it, Your Majesty." She moved a pawn.

"Insolent child," Persephone grumbled, though with fondness. They made several more moves in silence, with only the occasional squawks of the crows disturbing the peace. "What is your purpose here, Lena?"

"To play chess with you."

The Queen shot her a disapproving glance as she moved to take out Lena's knight. "Your mother is not here," she offered. Lena paused her pondering to look at Persephone in shock. "My husband is the most enigmatic man in _any_ realm and I am still able to read him. You are not that difficult." Lena sighed in defeat. "Mon-El is in Elysium." The demon hybrid balked at her. "Gallivanting with those poor souls as usual."

"Good thing pregnancy is not possible with them," Lena grumbled.

"If I did not know any better, I would say you are jealous," Persephone teased.

"And _I_ am insolent?"

"With the amount of time you have spent with me, you must have adopted some habits of mine." And then Persephone had the galls to _wink_. Lena could see why Hades fell in love with her in the first place, among many reasons. "If you are looking for him, I suggest you finish two games with me. That ought to give him enough time to have his fun."

Lena had long since wanted to unleash Cerberus on Mon-El since she learned of his existence. It was far from a pleasant introduction, and she was eternally glad that she saw him for what he was since the first time she laid eyes on him and reproached his advances along with staying out of his immediate vicinity as much as possible. Otherwise, she wasn't sure if she could keep herself in control and unleash _herself_ on him.

If even the Queen of hell herself, also known as the most patient and tolerant being to exist in this realm at least – kind of came with being the wife of the King of hell – was eager to get rid of him, one would understand exactly how despicable his behavior was. The only reason he was still allowed to frolic around with no consequences was the fact that his family was considered aristocracy in the immortal realm, and Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon were somehow dependent on them for rare sources from time to time.

Bureaucracy in the immortal realm was much more complicated than what was seen in the mortal realm. And Lena found it abhorrent, which was why she never attempted to delve in it, no matter how much Hades wanted to. It wasn't that she didn't know how it worked, she completely understood the mechanism from mere observation and constant visits to the library, but learning about them had only turned her away from it all the more.

She was quite satisfied with her boring life of being Cerberus' only friend and wandering the Underworld as a friendly face.

"When do you leave?" she asked.

"Two days," Persephone answered with a remorseful sigh. "I would be less worried about my husband if you are still here."

Lena smiled with melancholy. "I will miss you." The goddess had been more of a mother to her than both her birth mother and stepmother. She could not very well blame her mother; she did her very best. And she had never seeked solace with Lillian, having heard of her reputation for coldness and carelessness. She could only be grateful that Persephone was always there for her.

"I will probably return before you even do, my dear." Persephone paused the game to reach for Lena's hand, holding it with earnest. "Please come back and visit him whenever you can, Lena. I do not want him to linger too long. You know well how he gets when he is sullen for too long."

Lena nodded. "I will."

"And please be safe among the mortals. I may not dislike them as much as my husband do, but they are wretched creatures, born from my father's wretched hands," Persephone added.

"I do not see how that is possible when there are people coming after my life," Lena replied with a mocking smirk. "I know I will not die easily, but it is certainly a hindrance to whatever life I am trying to build up there."

"Hades is doing his very best to solve that mystery for you."

"And I am thankful for that." She watched as Persephone shifted her rook. "Do you ever think there will come a time when I do not trouble the King any more than I already have, Your Majesty?"

Persephone chuckled. "Please, Lena, keep giving him trouble. It gives him something to think about." Lena frowned at her in confusion. "I am the Goddess of Spring, Lena, the very epitome of harvest and fertility, and yet Hades and I have no children. Why do you think that is?"

"Because children are nuisances," Lena provided with no hesitation.

The Queen laughed, making a nonchalant shrug. "I have made many a mistake; do not take me for one who does not. But having children _here_ or in Olympus is not a mistake I am willing to make, neither is my husband. We are, both of us, far too knowledgeable about the toxicity among us to ever want to involve potential children in it. However, we do try with others; we try with you. You may not be our child, but do not be misguided into thinking that we do not care for you the same way one would care for an offspring." Her grin softened when she saw the tears welling up in Lena's eyes, reaching out to wipe them away with her gentle thumb. "My husband was absolutely outraged when he discovered your conception, but not at you, dear; he was furious at your father for his lack of discretion. Upon realizing the true depth of what and who you are, he and I made every effort necessary to keep you and your mother safe. Unfortunately, your mother was as weak as a pregnant woman could be, especially in the Underworld. So we tried with you, we wanted you to be as happy a child as you can be. We wanted you to be our child. You _are_ our child."

"Your Majesty," Lena whispered, too choked up to be able to say anything else.

"And a child is supposed to trouble their parents as much as possible, no matter how old they are. Hades may not display it, but you have no idea how eager he can be whenever he gets the chance to assist you. He wants to be as much of a father as he can be to you, given that he cannot be a father with me," Persephone said, adoration towards and regret for her husband clear in her eyes.

"But does that not defeat the purpose of you deciding to not have children in the first place?"

She was surprised when the Queen appeared apologetic after hearing a question. "I must admit that our treatment towards you in the beginning was a form of retribution for being born in this world in the first place. You were born as a mistake. But along the way, we discovered how absolutely delightful and charming you are, and we just could not help falling in love with you. My husband and I are still resolute in not having children of our own, but you, Lena, you are enough for us. We have never been more grateful that you are in our lives."

"And I am grateful for you and His Majesty as well."

"And yet we still cannot get you to address us otherwise," Persephone grumbled, shaking her head in irritation.

"It is respect."

"Would you not say that disobeying the King and the Queen of the Underworld is a form of disrespect as well?" Persephone cocked her brows.

"This is the least of my disobedience since I was born."

"That is very true." She gestured at the chess game. "Shall we carry on?"

"Of course."

"Two games, Lena. Or I will not allow your departure."

"Whatever makes you happy, Your Majesty."

"You make me happy. Never forget that, my dear."

Lena did as she was told and completed two games with Persephone, both of which she lost tremendously, but not without effort on her part. When her king was taken out, she hung her head in defeat, accepting it, as she had for the last hundred or more games she had played with the Queen.

She then stood up, approaching the woman and wrapping her in a rare hug. "I will see you when autumn come," Lena whispered, tightening her arms around the woman, not willing to let go.

"You most certainly will." Persephone pressed a prolonged kiss to her temple. "Do visit my husband whenever you can. He misses you terribly."

Lena drew back, putting on an expression of utter incredulousness. "He just saw me hours ago."

"He never stops missing you," Persephone offered.

"I will try my very best." Lena kissed the woman her cheek and stepped back. She clenched her jaw, keeping the tears at bay. It was never easy to see the woman she had grown to view as a mother leave, no matter how many times they had gone through it. "Be nice to your mother."

Persephone feigned a gasp, pressing a hand to her chest. "I am always nice!"

"You have never forgiven her for the truce she set up with Zeus," Lena pointed out.

"How can I ever forgive her for forcing me to leave the man I love?" Persephone could hardly keep herself from showing distaste. "So many eons, and a woman still cannot make her own decisions with her parents interjecting. I am the Goddess of Spring. Mortals worship me more than they worship them."

Lena laughed. "I will be going now. There's still a scum demon I have to question before I return to the mortals."

"Do not torment him too much, Lena. Or he will cry to mommy and my husband will have a whole other mess of your making."

"Thought you said he likes my messes?"

"One at a time, child. One at a time."

The raven haired woman snorted, nodding in agreement as she waved at the Queen and started walking away. She turned around, took two steps, and stopped abruptly when a portal suddenly conjured before her. She blinked and turned back to Persephone with a frown, who carried the same confounded expression on her face.

" _Lena_?"

Lena froze. She knew that voice. She had dreamed of that voice every now and then. She had just spoken to the owner of that voice just this morning.

Gradually, she turned back to look at Kara.

"Oh boy."

* * *

 **a very bad habit of mine that when i have a fave, i try to write them out to be loved by as many people as possible. in this case, it's lena, and lord only knows she deserves all the love she can get (it's also kinda why i switched mon-el's obsession with kara to lena, which is twisted but worry not, people, it will come to a full circle where he gets _yeeted_ ) ((i hate mon-el, i think y'all know that)) (((why does he have to come back his face is so tiring)))**

 **also, buy REPUTATION IF YOU LOVE ME AND I KNOW YOU DO**


	9. skin cut and split

**so how'd you like that cliffhanger? the response has been amazing please keep them coming it feeds my dark soul**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

"You're probably right."

Alex was lounging on her couch, willfully ignoring Bench as she paged through the latest CatCo issue. Kara wasn't even surprised anymore; it seemed she would have to endure her sister's interruptions and random appearances until this whole thing was done with. Hence, once she saw the redhead on her couch, she went ahead and said the thing she'd been holding in until she saw her sister again.

The Goddess of Order glanced at her over the side of the magazine with a frown. "You're gonna have to narrow it down. I'm probably right about a lot of things."

The blonde couldn't even refute that, because it was true. A lot of occurrences had ensued in the past to further bolster Alex's claim. She just sighed and hung her backpack on the rack, throwing her coat along with it and then kneeling down to pick Bench up. She walked over to where Alex was and sat down on the armchair, closing her eyes as she allowed the exhaustion she had felt for the last three days set in.

Her journalism skills had probably never been put to so much use until Maggie Sawyer had approached her and asked for her help. She'd sent the detective a text after she left Lena's penthouse, asking for access for all the documents the police had on Lena, and Maggie delivered.

 _Too much_ was delivered, was the problem. She'd strained all her brainpower to pore over those documents, and then some. She'd gone to some loosely illegal methods – Winn was specifically instructed to not tell her how he acquired the materials – for extra stuff on the Luthors. She hadn't slept for more than ten hours over the last forty eight hours.

And she found out _a lot_. Well, a lot of questions, but those questions only served to reinforce Alex's suspicions about Lena.

For example, where did Lena graduate high school? Or middle school? Or elementary school? Or even _kindergarten_? How the _hell_ did Lena manage to achieve three PhDs at the age of twenty four? Where were Lena's parents buried? Why had _no one_ heard of Lena Luthor before, when Lex Luthor came to such prominence in such short a time after he emerged from the immortal realm?

"Hey." She awoke from her reverie with Alex's gentle call. Opening her eyes slowly, she regarded her sister with a torn expression. "What happened to my scotch?"

Kara snorted. That was Alex's attempt – poor one, at that – to temporarily distract her from her current conflict, but she was still somewhat grateful. "My uncle visited a few nights ago."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Which uncle?"

Many have heard of Poseidon's famous tales with Kara, and many did not care. After all, patriarchy still reigned heavily over the heads of the immortals – sometimes, it could be worse than the way it was in the mortal realm; at least the mortals were progressing, even if the progress was slow.

Among the three brothers, Hades far differed from his two brothers, who were much too similar with each other. While the ruler of the Underworld preferred a low-key and obscure presence, the rulers of Olympus and the seas were vain, selfish, unkind, and so promiscuous to the extent that they were the sources of pretty much every war and battle that had ever been waged above and beyond.

Of all her audience, Alex was one of the few who was willing to listen, and even tried to wage her own war on Poseidon for trying to harm her sister. Only the other listeners were able to hold her back, because they all knew that nothing could be done.

"My favorite one," Kara clarified.

Relief replaced the apprehension on Alex's face. And then it turned into confusion. "What does that have to do with my scotch?"

"He drank some of it," Kara informed. "Also, _I_ bought the scotch, so technically, it's mine."

"You don't even like it." After a long pause, Alex asked, "So what am I right about?"

"I said probably."

"Which means I am."

There was this word she'd learned long ago – Ares taught her the word, before everything went to shit. _Occhiolism_. The awareness of the smallness of one's perspective in the scheme of the entire universe.

Kara had forgotten about it until recently. It scared her to think about the possibility of her own blindness to the entire expanse of the universe and everything that could have happened without her knowing. A goddess, she might be, but a know-all, she wasn't. The extent of her powers only went so far, and she hadn't used them for ages.

What if she had really allowed herself to be fooled by strength and beauty that she couldn't even suspect a smidge of non-commonality? What if she had been so blinded by her need to view everything in an optimistic light that she couldn't see what was in front of her? What if Lena and Lex _were_ really up to no good? What if Lena was the unknown corner of her known?

"Lena…" she started, drifting off, remembering the way that the raven haired woman had smiled at her and offered her coffee just two days ago. "Lena might not be who she is," she said, regret tinting her voice with every syllable. "Please say something," she pleaded when Alex was quiet for far too long.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Alex asked.

Kara shifted in her seat, cuddling Bench closer to her. Dogs could sense these things; dogs became ferocious in a demon's presence. But Bench was entirely too welcoming to Lena's presence, so _how_ could Lena be a demon? Kara told Alex about Hades' visit, his reluctance to answer her question directly, his claim that Lex fell in love, what Maggie told her, and everything she found out afterward.

"And you still believe in her?"

Unsurprisingly, she did. She may not have known Lena long, but it felt like she did, and she could not, for the life of her, fathom the idea that Lena would be capable of harming anyone for depravity.

She didn't have to say anything for Alex to understand her inclination. "Kara, you know I'll always be by your side no matter what. "But you need to understand that while not all demons are necessarily – for the lack of better word – demonic, they are still capable of bad things."

"So can Olympians."

Alex raised her brows. "I'm not denying that," she pointed out. "I was there during the war, remember? I was there when shit stirred up because the Almighty couldn't keep it in his pants. I was there." Kara nodded at the reminder. "I just want you to be careful. Hades' underlings are always toeing the lines."

"What if she _is_ , though?" Kara was finally brave enough to look at her sister. She shrugged. "What do I do?"

"You do what you do best: follow your instincts."

"My instincts told me to trust Ares."

Alex shook her head resolutely, moving to the edge of the couch so she could be nearer to Kara. She pinned her down with a meaningful look. "Your heart told you to trust Ares, but your instincts have been set off for a long time. You just didn't want to acknowledge them. This time, you just need to stop ignoring them."

They looked at each other for a long time. And then Kara nodded. "I have to talk to Hades again." Alex nodded. "Can you help me get a doctor's note? For three days, at least." Alex nodded again. Kara stood up and deposited Bench in her sister's lap before she could protest. "And take care of Bench for me."

"What – Kara, _no_."

"Just for three days."

"That's – Kara!"

Kara had already conjured up a portal and gone.

* * *

The last time a disappointment of this magnitude had gripped her was when she found out that Ares had really been planning on revolting all along, proving the rumors to be true. Never had she ever imagined she would feel it again. Well, here she was, a million questions milling in her brain and the undeniable _disappointment_ locking up her chest like prison bars.

Persephone had let them go to talk after making Kara promise to come back later so they could spend some time together before the Queen had to leave. Now, Lena and Kara were walking by the bank of Styx, Kara positioned at least three feet from Lena – she didn't think she could be near the woman until she received an acceptable explanation. She wondered if the Styx was infectious, because she felt something akin to revulsion at Lena.

It had been right under her nose this whole time. If she had only put down her walls and activated her powers, she would have found out earlier. She had been making an acquaintance in a demon this whole time – even gone so close to reacting on her feelings – and she didn't know it.

More than ever, she despised her father for entrusting this task to her in the first place.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Lena broke the silence, still staring down at her feet with her hands clasped behind her back. Kara had never seen her so rigid before. Unable to help herself, she scoffed, shaking her head with a mirthless smile. "Kara –"

"Don't," she stopped Lena, holding up one hand and refusing to look at her. She stopped in her track and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

"You can't blame me for not telling you," Lena asserted self-righteously. "You are an Olympian and I am a demon. You have to understand where I'm coming from."

Kara looked up at her swiftly, her face contorted into one of anger and repulse. "And what? You just think that you can fool me for the rest of your mortal life?" she snapped.

"Honestly?"

"Since you haven't been this whole time, you might as well be now."

"That's not fair," Lena snapped in return, the apology on her face gone and replaced by self-righteousness and her own brand of displeasure. " _You_ , of all people, know how it works for us. We do not venture into the mortal realm unless we had to. _I_ had to. What do you have to say for yourself?" She held up a hand when Kara attempted to protest. "And if we do, we do not reveal our true selves unless necessary. And as far as I am concerned, it has not been necessary for me to reveal myself to you."

At Lena's reasoning, Kara found herself more guilty than she was angry, even though the anger remained. "You knew who – _what_ I am," Kara said, slouching as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"The rule still applies."

"Someone tried to kill you."

Lena scoffed, throwing her head back as she looked up at the red that glossed over them. Kara, for a moment, allowed herself to relish in the way that Lena _belonged_ here, so much at home and in her element. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she would subject herself to a place where demons usually tried to stay away from.

"Don't mock me," Kara gritted between her teeth. "I was trying _help_ you, Lena, and you didn't even think of providing me with this one information?"

"I didn't ask for that," Lena snapped. "The last thing I want is to drag someone else into my trouble. I can handle myself. I _am_ handling myself. Why do you think I'm here? Wasting Olympus-only-knows how many _days_ in the mortal realm? As a matter of fact, you're delaying me."

Kara gaped at her, blinking. And then she took a few steps back, nodding as she retreated more and more. "Well, I'm _sorry_ , Lena, for worrying about you, when I clearly don't have to. I'm sorry for trying to help you. I'm sorry that I put myself in your way." She wanted to walk away, but the spite in her made her say her next words. "And for the record, I didn't even _want_ to, but your brother had to be a nosey little shit and go _rogue_."

"You have no right –"

"I _know_ I don't!" Kara finally relented to her anger and yelled, her eyes blown wide and burning with the frustration that had been building inside her since the night Alex gave her the task. "But it's not as if my father knows what boundaries mean! I have a duty to the empire I was born into, and I have to fulfill it!" She huffed and tugged on her ponytail. She shook her head. "I'll stay out of your way. But don't think for a second that I'll stop watching your brother until his mortal body gives up and sends him back here."

Before Lena even had a chance to refute, Kara turned around and strode back to where they had come from. She and Lena were in a precarious situation and she couldn't even look at Lena long enough to get the answers she wanted, so she would get them from one out of the two people she knew could give them to her.

* * *

"Great. Both of you are here. I need to talk to you," she demanded as soon as she entered the throne room, confronting the married couple who were lounging on the steps that led to their thrones and nursing two glasses of mead.

Hades saw her, took note of her madness, and sighed. He and Persephone shared a quiet look and then they both stood up. "I did not want you to discover this way."

"You didn't want me to discover at all."

Hades shot her a warning look. "That is true." He gestured at the round table to the west of the room and encircled an arm around his wife's waist as they bee-lined towards it. "Please try not to be furious at Lena."

"I'm furious at all three of you, if that makes you feel better."

"Kara," Persephone chastised, shaking her head. "Mind your tone."

She clenched her jaw. "Who is she?"

"You know who she is," Persephone said.

Kara raised her brows daringly. She would care about her position as a niece if she wasn't so damn outraged right now. They could smite her all they wanted, but she would _get_ her answers. That was the sole reason she came here in the first place, after all. "Clearly, I don't. Clearly, this entire Lex situation isn't as simple as I thought it is. Clearly, I've been fooled this whole time by all of you. So, please, why don't you enlighten me once and for all to make my job easier?"

Hades was grasping at his patience, judging by the way his hand tightened around his goblet and Persephone laid a hand on his forearm.

" _What_ is happening?" Kara persisted.

"Lena is in the mortal realm because we sent her to watch over her brother," Persephone explained as gently as possible. Always so patient and calm, this woman was. "Lex has always had a reputation here. He, more than anyone of us, finds joy in toeing the lines. But he is not bad, Kara. He fell for a mortal, and like any other soul, he is trying to pursue this mortal."

There was more.

"He drank the waters of the Lethe," Hades continued for his wife.

"What?" No immortal beings had ever _willingly_ drank from the Lethe. They were always forced, often by Zeus.

Hades shrugged. "Lex is an intelligent one, but intellectuals are not immune to mistakes. Lena and Lex are close as siblings, and there is no other better to be his guardian than her."

"Someone tried to kill her."

"We underestimated the situation," Persephone offered. "It was meant to be a case of love. Our expectation was for Lex to live out his mortal life and return with Lena. Lena was only ever meant to be a guardian. The explosion surprised all of us."

"So she _is_ a demon?" Kara asked for clarification, frowning deeper.

The ruler of the Underworld and his wife shared a look again. She was starting to get annoyed at their easy camaraderie as a couple. "I think that you ought to acquire clarification from Lena herself." Kara rolled her eyes. "This is Lena's to tell, Kara, just as your identity is yours. I will not be as vile as my brother and invade others' confidences as if I have every right to just because I am a king," he said. "The only thing I can tell you is that Lena is special, and she would not hurt a fly."

"She hurt me," Kara said before she could stop herself. "You –"

"I will not apologize for hiding Lena from you," Hades insisted, pinning her down with an almost ferocious look. It was parental. He was trying to protect Lena. "I have kept Lena from your father since she was born. And I care not enough for your trivial feelings to override my attention for Lena's safety."

"Darling –"

Hades shut his wife up with one look. "No, Cora, this is _Lena_."

He had always been skillful in displaying his anger in a quiet but vicious manner. This was not quiet but vicious. This was plain frustration in clear demonstration. "You…" Kara drifted off, eyes widening a fraction at the sight before her. "You _love_ her." As far as she was concerned, the only person that Hades had never concealed his affections for was Persephone, and Kara was a close second.

"Despite popular belief, I am capable of that," Hades confirmed.

"No, I know that. It's just – I don't think I've ever seen you love anyone other than Persephone," she admitted, gesturing at the woman in question.

"I have shown you plenty of it."

Kara raised her brows. "Not like this."

"Like I said, Lena is special." He downed the mead that had remained in his goblet and stood up, quietly heading over to the small table that stood on the other side of the room to pour more for himself. "At times, I find myself regretting my decision to allow her birth in the first place." Resignation was thick in his tone. He was slouching, almost leaning against the table, as he stared out the window at the parts of the world he was forced to command. "Years I have spent protecting her from Olympus, keeping her out of dangers that can potentially threaten her life. While I can do that, I cannot protect her mind. She is far too good and far too intelligent to be trapped in this godforsaken universe, and we all know that. I have watched her waste away here, spending time with a mutt when she can be doing so much more. And I wonder if I had made the wrong decision to subject her to this sort of undeserving treatment." He turned around, facing them with a solemn look. "I _knew_ that if she was to be discovered, jeers and judgement would be sent her way. And I was right."

Kara jolted in her seat, casting him a disbelieving look. "That is not fair."

"What Lena had to go through – _still_ has to go through – is not fair!" he bellowed in a rare display of ardent lividness. "Lena has had to go through more than _any one_ of us to keep surviving. _Surviving_ , Kara, not living. She has not _lived_ since she was a mere child. You have no conception of how many times Cora and I had to convince her to refrain from ending her life right there and then. You are ignorant of the utter lack of enjoyment she derives from life because of the restrictions _I_ have placed on her for her safety. You are unaware how lucky we all are that she is _good_ and has no intentions of harming anyone." His entire body shook at the end of his passionate statement.

Once understanding that her husband would not be offering any more passionate blowouts, Persephone took over, though it was apparent from the look on her face that she wasn't happy with the way Kara had addressed both of them previously. "We treat Lena like she is our child. If you think we will allow you to just stride in here and question her integrity, you are gravely wrong. If you expect us to apologize, we will not."

Kara closed her eyes. She had always tried to be better than her father once she had learned the kind of person he truly was. As a matter of fact, the war with Ares had taught her to be better. But this time, perhaps it was because it was _Lena_ that she had allowed her sights to be clouded and let out this part of her that she had kept tamped down for so long.

"I am just trying to understand," she said softly.

"You do, Kara. You understand that despite everything, Lena is just a girl who is trying to protect her brother and does not deserve any ill treatment."

There was nothing but truth to that. Whatever Lena was, goodness was definitely one of them. It was why Kara had decided to agree to Maggie's call for help in solving the case. It was why Kara was even here in the first place, asking for clarifications, rather than just disappearing back to the mortal realm and declaring Lena an adversary.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Do not apologize to us," Hades offered, suddenly appearing by her side, looking down at her. Kara nodded in understanding. He inhaled deeply and reached out to clamp a hand on her shoulder. "I have to thank you for extending assistance to her regarding the explosion. One more head will not hurt."

"Yours is hurting plenty," Persephone offered, regarding her husband with care and mild exasperation. "You need to rest."

"I will."

"You know I do not mean after you have solved it."

Hades considered his wife with clear adoration, and then he turned back to Kara. "Someone is attempting for Lena's life, and I will not allow that. My efforts will not be wasted like that." He moved to sit back down.

"Do you have any clue about who it might be?" Kara asked.

He inclined his head. "I have several, and none of them is mortal."

* * *

She didn't know which was worse; the fact that The Fates might be toying with all of them, or that Lena's own mother – albeit _step_ mother – may be the one behind this complicated web they had all caught themselves in.

The Fates were a mysterious trio. They were probably the only ones whom Zeus was actually afraid of, which only went to prove how much power they carried. And yet, their chosen hiding spot was in a mountain. Kara had heard things about them – the kindness they occasionally bestowed and the pains they seemed to find joy in granting the souls they controlled. Hell, even _her_ life was a thread in their spinning wheel, but they didn't often dabble in immortals' lives.

Something about it being too long that it became boring for them to watch over.

Never had she ever come across them, and if she was fortunate enough, she would never have to.

Four days had gone by upon her return. And Snapper certainly wasn't happy when she handed him the doctor's note that Alex had procured, somehow without a duration specified. Kara didn't ask. James had asked her where she'd been, and she only told him that she came down with a bad cold. When he brought up the fact that she never got sick, she ran away back to her office.

She tried calling Lena, but her call went unanswered. Jess told her that Lena was away on a vacation, but she didn't know how long. Kara was tempted to go back to the Underworld again just to see if Lena was still there, partly because she didn't want to believe that Lena was deliberately avoiding her.

It only took one day of complete silence for her to give up on waiting and show up to Lena's penthouse after work. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take Lena's potentially-purposeful avoidance anymore. She couldn't take the guilt that was weighing down on her shoulders with each hour that passed without so much as a blip from Lena. She couldn't take hearing Hades' bellow in her head and allowing Lena to continue thinking that she hated her.

Not even a sign of hesitation was apparent when she knocked on Lena's door. Her impatience was getting the best of her. Five minutes passed, and she wanted to knock again, but the door opened before she could, revealing a very haggard looking Lena.

Still beautiful.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I put in a position where you have to think that you can't trust me. I'm sorry that I made you think that _I_ don't trust you. I'm sorry for not listening to you." Lena considered her for a long moment, so long that Kara just decided to plow on. "I swear that I'm not usually like that. I don't know…Okay, actually, I do. I just –"

"Kara," Lena stopped her, her vacant expression not growing any more _un_ -vacant. It really wasn't comforting. "I think that…" Lena seemed like she was having a very hard time trying to get her next words out. She ran her fingers through her loose hair and heaved a reluctant sigh. "We need to stop."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"You and I," Lena offered. "We need to stop before it gets further out of our control."

"I don't understand."

"Let me just lay all the cards on the table for you," Lena said, standing straighter and clasping her hands in front of her. "I like you, and not just in a friendly way. I _like_ you. But I don't want to know if you feel the same way. I don't. Because it would be dangerous, and nothing would come of it. You are an Olympian – a goddess. I am a demon – something more than just a demon. If we stay as friends, it will be dangerous. I have spent too much and too long trying to keep myself alive, and being friends with you, daughter of Zeus, it's not good for either of us. So let's not waste our time on something that will not be fruitful." She smiled a bitter smile. "Thank you, though, for even trying. I don't think I've ever had anyone who's been…so nice to me, apart from His and Her Majesty. But we should – we should end this."

If hearts could splinter, Kara's would be in shambles. She was finding it hard to believe that Lena had even said those things at all. She came here to apologize. She came here to repair their friendship. She came here wanting to clear the table and lay out a new frontier for them to see where it would lead them.

She didn't come here to lose a friend.

"You are clearly here to get away from Olympus, so you should get back to it. Tell your father that Lex is safe, and if he does anything, I will take full responsibility for it. Just go back to your life, Kara. Be a journalist. Be a human. I can handle myself. I will handle myself." Lena hesitated, but she stepped forward and pressed a long kiss on Kara's cheek before closing the door in Kara's face.

And Kara? Well, she didn't even realize she was crying until she made her way out of the building.

So much for apologizing.

* * *

 **don't hate me. don't hate kara. but don't hate me.**


	10. pay no heed to the signs

**one week late, but it's here now, so yay me! and uh...sorry?**

 **now read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Killing Mon-El would probably save her a lot of time and trouble. Who knew? He probably _was_ the instigator of the bomb. It could probably be that simple. Things probably could die down from there and she would be able to live her mortal life in a boring and peaceful manner. God only knew how long she had lived her life that way.

But she wasn't smart for no good reason. And she had far too much personal experience to know that even if Mon-El was involved, he would only be the beginning of a really long and complicated chain. And there Hades thought that the trouble ended with keeping her identity a secret.

Lena chuckled darkly as she entered Elysium and passed many wandering souls, igniting her senses to detect Mon-El's whereabouts. He was a weak being, considering all things, but she wasn't weak, and she could easily sense him, especially when she was at home and she had gotten far too familiar with the difference between the auras of demons and dead souls.

The demon was just exiting a hut and tucking his shirt into his pants when she found him. He seemed to have sensed her as well, as he lifted his eyes at her, simultaneously delighted and afraid. She wasn't surprised that he was afraid of her. After all, she didn't threaten people on a whim. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he had other reasons to be afraid of her.

As she took him in, revulsion arose in her. So many years later, he was still as repulsive as ever.

"Lena," he pronounced. And she wanted him to never speak her name again. After a moment of fright, he seemed to have resigned himself, as if he had expected her, causing the suspicion in her to increase.

She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "We need to talk," she said. He gulped and then nodded. "In private."

He nodded again, casting a longing glance at the hut – not because he still wanted whichever woman he had bedded, but because it served as an escape. She allowed herself to be led to a forest, which was merely a ten minute trek. When he stopped and leaned back against a tree, she made sure to keep some distance between them.

"What do you want to talk about?" He had the gall to look so aloof and uncaring. But his subtlety only went so far, and her perceptiveness certainly further than that, which was how she could see that he was pretending to be dumb.

"Who gave you the idea that planting a bomb in my office could kill me?" she went right to the point, quirking a brow.

He didn't speak for a long while, his eyes roving over her. She fought the shudders that ran through her body from being visible. Then his lips quirked up in an appreciative smile. "You look beautiful," he commented, his voice suggestive and lecherous. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "You sure you don't want to revisit my invitation?"

"I would be dead before I go anywhere near you in that capacity," she spat at him with her jaws tightly locked. She had expected this, she had prepared herself for it, her argument with Kara had further bolstered the anger she needed to confront the man, but he still disgusted her.

A hum escaped his closed lips. "That won't be difficult," he replied, winking. She frowned. "I did plant the bomb in your office."

Well, she didn't expect an admission so easy. There was something much bigger at play here. "Something as flimsy as a bomb can't kill me, Mon-El."

"And why is that?" he shot back at her, tilting his head with narrowed eyes. She would have really thought it was genuinely a question had it not for the smirk still playing across his lips. "Got a secret you want to tell us?"

She took the bait. In an instant, she was right in his face, the proximity she had very much wanted to keep between them forgotten in a flash of displease and fear. "Who told you?" she seethed.

He glanced down at her lips and then locked eyes with her again. "I like this," he said appreciatively. "Never took you for a top."

The argument she had with Kara earlier had done nothing but fuel the fire in her, igniting a full out inferno from flames. She was shaken from it, unable to understand whether the emptiness inside her was relief that Kara was finally leaving her alone or fear that Kara was _finally_ leaving her alone.

Instead of allowing herself the time to gather herself, she came straight here to Elysium. This was good, the conflict that was waging a war inside of her. It could very well the very thing she needed to confront Mon-El without giving in and throwing up.

And she was right to do so. She could wallow in her own grief over the loss of Kara when she was done with him.

Reaching out, a hand looped itself around Mon-El's shirt to shove him harder against the tree, lifting him marginally so he would no longer be rooted to the ground. He could do well to understand the true reaches of her strength, given that it was apparent that he already knew who – _what_ – she was. She didn't have to worry about him finding out about her.

A sick sense of satisfaction reached her when she saw the fear returned to his face. "Tell me what you are up to," she said in a low tone, impatience trembling in her throat.

He clenched his jaw. "No." She pulled him away from the tree and then slammed him back again. Hopefully, no souls would come upon them. They would be mortified to discover this kind of activity in a place like Elysium, a supposedly pleasant place in the Underworld. He grunted at the pressure, but did not relent. "Telling you would be too easy for you," he said with a sick grin.

"Mon-El," she enunciated carefully, "do not make me drag you down to the eighteenth level of Tartarus and leave you there."

He cocked his brows. "You can't. Hades wouldn't allow that."

"Do I look like I care?"

"You care about Hades. And you know that if anything happens to me, my parents wouldn't be too happy. And then what will Hades do?"

She could hardly believe him. Once, he had used his parents to propose a union with her, claiming a smoother political relationship. Hades had to tarnish her name, telling them that she was a wild child and would only ruin their family name, to get them off their backs. Not that she minded; the further they stayed away from her, the better, regardless of why and how.

Now, he was using his family as a shield again. She hadn't seen him in so long, and she couldn't fight the bafflement in her at his lack of growth.

But he was right. She may not care less about his wellbeing, but Hades mattered a lot to her. And she would never forgive herself if she was the reason that he would deign to kneel at the face of rotten aristocracy.

"See? I know you."

Her nostrils flared as she pushed him harder into the tree. If he was any mortal, there would be a hole in his chest already. "You don't know a damn thing about me."

"I know enough." He glanced down at her hand still clutched at his chest. "You should probably let me down now." With a groan, she did. He adjusted his clothes and then crossed his arms.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh, it's not me. Well, not _just_ me." She narrowed her eyes. "Your mother really does hate you, doesn't she?"

Of course. She really didn't expect any less. Mon-El wouldn't be smart enough to even think about whatever it was that was being cooked up. And her mother – _stepmother_ – hated her. But she had really thought Lillian had given up on trying to get rid of her. Well, apparently not. She had just waited for a long time, and somehow Lena going to the mortal realm to protect the woman's son was an opportunity.

" _Why_?" she asked again. "Why are _you_ even a part of this?" Because for the life of her, she couldn't understand why a woman with her stepmother's intelligence would even think an idiot like Mon-El would be valuable to her plans. Surely, if Mon-El's brain was the minimum bar, _all_ the demons in this realm would be more useful than him.

He laughed. "I know what you're thinking. You think that I'm dumb, and you think that your mother must be insane to want to include me in her plans." She raised her brows. He stared at her for a long moment and then he shook his head. "You really are the most beautiful woman I've ever met," he lamented. She almost wanted to hurt him again. "I'm just here because you rejected me and I still want you."

"That makes no sense."

He stepped closer to her, so close that she thought he would kiss her, but then he stopped a breadth away from her. "If I can't have you, no one else can," he whispered, the smile having disappeared and a ferocious look in its place. "And Lena, trust me when I say I will hurt _anyone_ who even touches you the way I want to. Even that little Olympian you've been hanging out with."

She stumbled back. He had always been unpleasant, but this wasn't just that. This was straight up murderous, and shame on her, but she had never thought he could be capable of that. That manic wandering in his eyes, those iron fists he had curled up at his sides, and the way he stood with his feet firmly planted apart to tower over her – they all made her sick.

"Why is my mother doing this?"

He shrugged. "Do I look like I care?" he said. "I'm just here for the fun of it – and the chance of having you," he added.

"You can forget about it," she spat.

"Well, then I'll have the joy of destroying everything you care about to make you regret that." He then laughed. He had the _gall_ to laugh so wholeheartedly, as if this whole situation was giving him joyous energy, just like the selfish person she had always perceived him to be. "Lena the mysterious one, always troubling everyone around her. You might want to stay away from that Olympian – what's her name again? Kara?"

She lunged forward again, jabbing an intimidating finger into his cheek. "Stay. Away. From. Her," she seethed. "She has nothing to do with this."

He raised his brows. "But she does, Lena," he drawled with a slow smirk. "Remember what happened to Jack Spheer?"

Her eyes widened.

Jack Spheer was a dead soul who came to the Underworld at the tender age of forty-three seventy –five years ago, passed away for trying to save a girl from a sexual assault attempt. She made it safe; he didn't. Lena came across him when she was swimming in Acheron and Charon had dropped him off. She offered to bring him to the throne room. Their chat made her find him charming.

She didn't intend to talk to him further, despite the fact that she really did like him. She couldn't anyway, because he ended up unsalvageable, mutilated to unspeakable shapes in Tartarus. Never had Lena ever felt sorry for a mortal soul who just wanted to go on with his afterlife – perhaps even reincarnating into someone kinder and more successful in his heroics.

She really liked him. Lena had never liked someone like him before – not until Kara.

"I saw you two. He got too near," Mon-El offered with an affirming nod, still grinning. "So I thought I could give him a lesson." Bile rose in her throat. "Your mother promised me that at the end of this, I will get the honor of doing the same to the Olympian." He then shrugged. "Maybe if she keeps her distance from you from now on, I'll reconsider."

Killing him would be so easy.

She didn't.

She just glared at him one more time, making a promise to herself that she would end all of these before anyone got hurt, even if it meant she got killed herself. She spun around on her feet and stepped into the portal she conjured.

* * *

Five days, she had been gone. Her brother almost sent out a search party amongst the frenzy of his and Jess' combined concerns over her whereabouts.

The board was waiting for her to reassure them of their insecurities, all of them white and old and angry and impatient. Papers and files were sitting on her desk with their pale glares. Emails were locked in her inbox, unopened and screaming for her to reply to all of them. Her office was finally refurbished and secured with tighter mechanisms.

And the current state of mind she was in wouldn't allow her to even give them two seconds of consideration, considering she had lives to protect and plans to eliminate and people to cut off. Well, not that she really needed to do anything about that last department, because Kara had made her point clear in the Underworld – and her being the only attachment she had other than her brother and Jess made things easier, but also all the sadder.

She had completely underestimated the weight of her fondness for Kara until now, when Kara had discovered who she truly was. Not entirely who she was, but the blonde already knew where she was from, and that was enough for their friendship to be off the table, apparently, let alone something more.

Kara was the only inkling of light in Lena's very dark world, and she had taken advantage of it, thinking that she could go her entire mortal life fooling the woman into thinking she was just a human being like everyone else. She craved that energy Kara exuded. She relished in the woman's presence. She loved looking at Kara, watching the smile further enhance the beauty that she embodied. More than once, she wanted to forget the clashes between their identities and kiss the bejesus out of Kara.

To think that it was just a silly little crush – without her knowledge, it had embroiled into something bigger and unfathomable and _crippling_.

She wouldn't call it love.

But now, after coming home from dealing with undependable men and an angry assistant and a worry-wrought brother, she could finally allow herself to understand that it was something close to that and drown herself in half a bottle of scotch. She hadn't even known Kara that long, for Pete's sake. How could she not have noticed the rampant pattern behind her ribs whenever she saw the blonde? How could she miss the deepening of this crushing weight of her feelings for Kara until it was too late? How could she slip up on the plan that her mother and Mon-El had cooked up? How could she allow weakness in the face of longing for something other than disguise and darkness?

It was too late now, and she cared too much about Kara to allow for more moments of weakness to cloud her judgement. Whatever that came after this, she would make sure no one else would be involved in the dangers of it. She alone would have to deal with both her stepmother and Mon-El.

Mon-El had said that he would leave Kara alone if she kept her distance from her, but she had stopped claiming that she knew him, and she couldn't leave it to his promise alone. And just because he had promised didn't mean the same went to her stepmother. She had obviously expected too _much_ from the older woman, thinking that Lillian would stay out of her hair now that her son's life was quite literally being guarded the one person she despised the most.

Curse her for going placid and miss out on all of it.

The scotch bottle had seen the bottom when she detected the familiar presence – the all-too-familiar presence that she never thought would be near her voluntarily again. She stood up and stared at the door, waiting for the bell to ring. All the while preparing herself for the confrontation, making up narratives to face the malevolence that was inevitably waiting for her.

The bell rang. She took a breath and went to open it, only to be thrust in the face with something she wasn't expecting at all: an apologetic Kara.

Regret began to mount up as she watched and listened to Kara as she went on to apologize. As Kara continued, she wished that the Olympian was an angry and unforgiving person; it would make it easier for her to do what she had to do. She interrupted Kara when she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't have Kara adding more weight to her hesitation. She couldn't have Kara finish her sentence and go weak in the knees over it.

She needed to do this.

To ensure that Kara's life was tucked away from unnecessary harm, she needed to do this. And perhaps it would be best for Kara to think that she was a heartless bitch, the unforgiving one.

Lena had been birthed into the most difficult world in this overlapping universe. Lena had endured more loss than anyone ever had to. Lena had fought the most hearkening monsters for sport. Lena had poured in a lot of effort to being her. And yet, Lena had never found anything of them difficult in comparison to watching Kara's face fall more and more as she persisted on her unpracticed speech on why them being friends – or even more – would never work out in the long run.

She might as well be truthful while she was at it.

And they always said the truth hurt.

She permitted herself another moment of weakness and stepped forward to press a long kiss against Kara's cheek, imprinting the memory of Kara's warmth and the smoothness of her skin into memory, before she closed the door and felt the presence fade away.

And then she reached for the scotch bottle and threw it against the wall, watching as it shattered at the moment of impact and fell to pieces on the carpeted floor.

* * *

"Miss Luthor, there is a Clark Kent asking to see you," Jess announced through the intercom.

"Does he have an appointment?" She was tired. And she had no time for unsolicited meeting.

"No, but he insisted and –"

"Lena, it's me." Lena froze at the voice.

Before she left the immortal realm for this painful venture, she had spoken to the owner of that voice and advised him to not make any contact while they were here. _Why_ couldn't men just _listen_?

"This is important," Kal said.

She needed more scotch. She really should get Jess to fill up the bar. Maybe she could get Jess to make a quick run to the nearest store and pick up one. It didn't even matter if it was cheap scotch; she just needed something.

She told Jess to let him in, and mustered the most intimidating glare she could as she watched the door open and in stepped her brother's unconventional best friend. Unlike his usual presentation of a blue overall and a red cloak, he was dressed in the most nerdy look she could ever witness on a man. She could never understand men's need to take things a little too far. Unable to help herself, her lips curled into a humorous smirk as she took him in.

"Don't laugh," he admonished as he rolled his eyes, closing in on her desk.

She cocked a brow. "What is a Clark Kent?" she asked.

"Everybody needs a fake name."

"And you just thought Clark Kent is the one to go with."

"Didn't I tell you to not laugh?"

"You don't tell me what to do."

He heaved a sigh, looking upwards. "Yes, I remember well," he lamented. He gestured at an empty chair, to which she offered a nod of approval. When he sat down, he looked at her apologetically. "Sorry to…ignore your advice." She tilted her head, staring back at him in silence. "My father and I visited Olympus two days ago to meet with my uncle."

She hummed. "Yes, that egoistic ruler of the heavens."

He grimaced. "I wouldn't exactly call it heaven," he muttered.

"I imagine it hasn't been a nice meeting, considering you chose to not heed my advice of not making any contact until my brother and I return home," Lena mused.

He eyed her carefully. "Hades was there."

She narrowed her eyes. She hadn't had any communication with Hades since the day he came to visit her. She wanted to meet with him after her confrontation with Mon-El, but her emotions were wrought and she didn't think she was in the right state of mind to face the King of the Underworld.

"Must have been a really awful meeting," she said slowly.

Kal inclined his head in agreement. "The three brothers don't quite like each other. It's not a surprise. But the meeting was for a reason." She waited for him to continue. "The Fates have gone into hiding." A sharp exhale escaped her chest. "Well, not that they've gone into hiding, but they're not corresponding. They're not seeing anyone. They're not talking to anyone. They've…disappeared."

Gods, could it have been true? Could Hades be right? Was her life right now in the hands of the most dangerous trio in the immortal realm? Was she merely a marionette? Making an effort to display an effortless composure, she nodded. "While that can be dangerous, I don't know why you're telling me this."

"I talked to Hades. I know about the explosion. I know about your friendship with Kara." Noticing her frown, he offered, "She's my cousin."

She scoffed, shaking her head once again at her slipup. She'd been doing a lot of that. Kal's father was Poseidon, and Kara's father was Zeus. First cousins. "I'm pretty sure Hades didn't tell you everything." Lena was as confident in Hades to keep her secrets as he was in her abilities to be good and useful.

"Oh no," Kal confirmed, chuckling. "To be honest, I think I've gotten the shock of my life when he actually came to me and asked for my help." Now _that_ was a surprise. The only people Hades actually deigned to ask for help from were his wife and her. He usually preferred to do things on his own, claimed that it was more convenient and less troublesome – not a believer of opinions, that man was. "Even then, he would only gloss over the details and not tell me everything. But I am the closest person to you and brother, apart from my uncle and cousin, so I can fill in the blanks."

"You should be honored," Lena commented. "He's finally deemed you worthy."

He tilted his head. "I should, shouldn't I?"

"Your uncle isn't exactly known to be the most open person, and he doesn't like to be seen as weak."

"I guess that's where you got it from," he called her out, smirking. "You never liked asking for help either."

As a rare act of childishness, she stuck her tongue out at him. "I do what I have to do to survive."

Kal nodded in understanding. And then his expression turned bleak. "This can be…catastrophic," he offered, indicating the situation with The Fates. "While I am enormously thankful that they decided to put Lois in my path, they are still extremely powerful and not easy to deal with." She offered him a look of her own, wordlessly saying that she wasn't exactly dumb about that. "If they are a part of…whatever your mother has planned –"

"Stepmother," she corrected quickly before he could go any further. "I only have one mother. Or two, I suppose." She wondered if Persephone hade made her trip back to Demeter safely.

"What they may have weaved for you and Kara, it can be catastrophic. I don't exactly know what you are –" he stared at her pointedly "– but I do know that you are more powerful than any one of us. I have always been thankful that you stayed on the good side," he added.

"I stay on the side that can help me survive."

"Come on, Lena," he sighed, smiling at her fondly, "you're one of the best people I know."

"Survival," she stressed. "Who knows? If I wasn't so careful about my identity, I might have been the one to do what Ares have done all those years ago."

"Don't think I've forgotten how you've helped us fight the war."

"History would bear to differ."

"History is nothing but one narrative."

She rolled her eyes. "Can we get back to the point?"

"Kara's powers are immensely potent as well. And I – _we_ – fear that it will come to the point where we have to become the Diana to your Ares combined," he told her honestly.

Kara didn't need her powers to be powerful. Even without them, she was already highly skilled in influencing people into liking her and perhaps even dying for her. Lena was well on her way to the latter. But she had to admit, she was rather curious as to what extent Kara's commands reached.

"I won't let that happen," she said.

"I know you will try to not let it happen, but we're just taking precautions."

She pinned him down with a long look, observing his body posture and voice inflection. "What are you really here to say?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if contemplating whether it would be wise for him to speak his next words. And when he opened them again, he was firm and unflinching. "You need to watch yourself." She waited. "Control yourself."

"I've been doing that my whole life," she spat, offended that he would even suggest that she could lose it at any moment. She wasn't Zeus, honestly.

"Keep doing it," he replied, standing up and adjusting the lapels of his beige jacket. "And Hades and I will help you as much as we can."

"Will you stay away if I ask you to?" she asked, standing up as well, understanding that this was marking the end of their conversation.

He chuckled, rounding the desk to wrap his arms around her. "It's not weak to ask for help. My uncle understood that; it's time you should too."

She sighed. "Men," she grumbled, though she hugged him back.

She could use all the hugs she could get right now. But in the back of her mind, she knew that the one hug she really wanted, she probably wouldn't ever get again.

* * *

 **so? what do you think? let me know in the comments!**

 **also, mon-el can choke and i wish he dies a slow painful death ugh i can't believe we have to see his stupid face for god knows how many more months why do they do this**


	11. like a dead-stringed doll

**this is more of a filler chapter, but i wanted y'all to know how kara is doing and what she's been up to before i dive into the building of the best goddess-demon duo ever, the appearance of diana prince, the evolvement of sanvers, and lillian stirring shit up with mon-el and the fates.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

One week had gone by, and it didn't even take her three days of it to realize how Lena Luthor had become a necessary fixture in her life. Math told her that it wasn't logical – she hadn't known Lena that long. And logic told her that she shouldn't feel this way – forlorn, longing, desperate, and so, so sad. Feelings told her that she really couldn't go on like this.

Snapper had become so frustrated with her that he went crying to mommy – Cat Grant – telling her that he wouldn't have the kind of placidity and distraction that Kara had offered over the last few days. Cat, ever so observant, had ordered her to see her at the end of the night, no doubt to tear her a new asshole. Even though Cat would be too human to actually do that, Kara believed that if any human could tear anyone a new asshole, it would be Cat Grant.

The worst thing was that she wasn't even mildly afraid when she packed up her backpack and made a beeline for Cat's office, not picking up on Snapper's snarl, James' curious stares, Winn's sympathetic pout, and Cat's apparent distaste at her funk. Kara just walked in and stood in front of Cat's desk, her eyes distant and her skin pale.

"Miss Grant," she greeted. Inside, her apartment was pulling at her, including the tub of ice-cream she didn't get to finish last night and the leftover pizza that was probably left by Alex the last time she was here.

Cat Grant narrowed her eyes at the younger blonde and then gestured at the couch as she stood up to make her way to towards it. "Sit down, Kiera."

"It's Kara," she corrected monotonously as she sat down next to her boss. Said boss raised her brows at her, but Kara paid her no mind, just playing with her fingers and wanting to go home. "If you want to fire me, just fire me."

"Okay, what on _earth_ is going on with you?" Cat queried, no longer maintaining the ice cold expression she wore as a trademark, though Lena might be able to compete with that – there she went again, thinking about the one woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with her.

"Nothing."

"Right, and I haven't had sex with Harrison Ford. Three times."

Kara frowned, looking up at Cat. "I thought you said –"

"Doesn't matter what I said," Cat quickly waved her off. "Kiera, when I gave you that office last year, I expected complete dedication and high quality work. And you gave me both without fail. But just this afternoon, I had to listen to Chrome Dome over there rant about your lack of professionalism – which is true, but I forgave that because you saved my relationship with my son – and threaten to kick you out of team because you have been making mistakes all over the place. So tell me, Danvers, what is going on with you?"

She developed a crush which developed into something bigger for a demon slash what-else and the aforementioned demon slash what-else had rejected her attempt of asking for forgiveness and now she was wallowing. Oh, and she was a goddess. Now, the whole world knew that Cat Grant had one hell of a poker face and she could portray the calmest of beings even if faced with an apocalypse, but Kara had a feeling that if she were to tell Cat all of that, history could have been made.

She wasn't in the mood of making history.

"It's complicated," was all she had to offer.

"Is this about a boy? Do you have to disappoint me so much that I have to give you _boy_ advice?" Cat sneered.

"It's not –" Kara went quiet, fidgeting with her fingers. "What do you do if someone you care about is in danger but doesn't want your help?"

Cat was quiet next to her as she pondered. "Well, Mr Olsen seems as well as he can be, still obsessed with his camera. Mr. Schott is still a bumbling IT boy, always going on about how well he can improve my system," Cat observed. And then she hummed, staring at Kara with a discerning look, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "I presume this friend of yours is a recent resident of National City; perhaps leading the branch of one of the largest corporations in the country?" When Kara didn't offer any clarification, the older woman smiled wider. "Normally, I would tell you to leave them alone – if someone doesn't want your help, they don't deserve it."

"Normally?" Kara pointed out.

"We all know Lena Luthor is anything but normal."

No, no, she wasn't. If anything, Lena seemed to scare the shit out of a lot of people, and Kara couldn't figure out why. She heaved a mirthless laugh, shaking her head. "I don't think anything that implies normal applies to her," she commented.

"I like her," Cat offered. And Kara wasn't so numb as to not be shocked by that. She had known Cat Grant for _years_ and the woman didn't just easily like anyone, much less someone she hadn't so much as met. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I am capable of affection." Without another word, she just motioned in Kara's direction.

"You don't even know her."

"I know her enough."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Cat only sighed in disdain, like she was talking to a child and getting impatient. "It means that Lena Luthor has as much bite as she barks – and she _barks_. She is intelligent, courageous, youthful, confident, and beautiful; she's the whole package. She is a force not easily reckoned with. Did I miss out on anything?"

"Well –"

"Oh, and that you like her, but that's not about her," Cat challenged. She tilted her head. "She also seems incredibly lonely."

"She has to be," Kara muttered, but Cat picked up on it.

"Yes, I'm sure she does, what with her always being in her brother's shadow and her parents gone."

The younger blonde audibly swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump that had formed in her throat. "I just want to help her," she bemoaned, lowering her head into her hands. "And she won't let me. She's basically cut me off."

"Normally, I would also discourage my employees from getting too close to a subject of interest," Cat trilled. "But then again, like you said, nothing that implies normal applies to Lena Luthor, and by association, you."

"All due respect, Miss Grant, but would you just get to the point?" Kara had a feeling that she would have to pay the grocery store a visit to pick up ten tubs of ice-cream after this.

"Don't listen to her," Cat immediately told her. "I know the narrative now is that women would like to be listened and respected, and I couldn't agree more. But it also depends on the situation, doesn't it? Sometimes, a person is just entirely too foolish to be listened to; it's human nature." Kara resisted from scoffing. Human nature…Right. "I do not have a clue as to what is happening with her, but I assume from the explosion that it's nothing good, and she intends to resolve it herself." The CEO moved closer to Kara, making sure to look her sternly in the eyes as she provided her following sentiment. "And Kiera, I will be very disappointed if you leave a friend in need to her own devices."

And one did not disappoint Cat Grant at any cost, unless they had no choice – they normally had a choice. Kara had a choice now. She could either leave Lena alone and let her solve the problem herself – a problem that just seemed to be snowballing, if Hades and Persephone's reactions were any indication – or she could puff up her chest and stand up to Lena. Maybe even get Lena to tell her everything so she wouldn't be so confused, but that could come later.

"Or maybe not just a friend," Cat added.

Kara's eyes widened, straightening her posture. "Miss Grant, it's not like that."

"Don't take me for a fool, Kiera," her boss said, wrinkling her nose. "I am not blind nor am I stupid. Though I would advise that if things were to go any further, you ought to stop being the resident reporter on Lena. Conflict of interest and all that, I'm too professional for people to accuse me of being the opposite of that." Cat waved her hand in the air dismissively. "And I can't believe that I just offered my employee relationship advice," she muttered to herself, and then stood up and headed over to the liquor cabinet to pour herself a glass of whiskey.

Kara stood up, looking at Cat with an indignant and affronted expression. "It's not a relationship!"

"What did I just say?" The older woman swirled the glass in her hand, raising a pair of challenging brows at Kara.

The goddess blinked, still indignant, but at Cat's unwavering gaze, she deflated, huffing a defeated sigh. "Don't take you for a fool," she parroted.

Cat made a noise of approval. "I take it you don't want to join me?" she asked, raising her glass higher in the air. Kara shook her head. "Well, then, go home, Kiera. Think about what you want to do. Tomorrow, I want you to come back with a decision and give your all to what I promoted you to do."

Kara nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She got to her feet and started to make her way out the door, a new resolution forming. Don't get her wrong, she still needed those ten tubs of ice-cream, maybe even more, but tomorrow morning, she was going to follow her mentor's advice and make her decision. Stopping at the door, she turned back around; Cat was enjoying her whiskey. "Miss Grant?" Cat opened her eyes. "Thank you."

"Get out, Kiera."

"Goodnight, Miss Grant."

* * *

Was it too late to go back and grab another ten tubs of ice-cream? The man standing in her living room, quietly admiring Bench, made her want to go back to the grocery store for another ten tubs. Seriously, they needed to stop treating her home like a hotel and pretending as if privacy wasn't a thing.

"You get none of these," Kara told her cousin, dropping the two bags of ice-cream on the table, each of them consisting five.

Kal snorted, kneeling down to pick Bench up in his arms. Bench, having finally succeeded in his attempts to receive affection, happily snuggled into Kal's warmth. Kara watched her dog, quietly concluding that this dog would make the worst guard dog ever, and she wouldn't have it any other way. As Kal sat down on the armchair, she had flopped down on the couch after retrieving a spoon from the cabinet, taking one tub out and digging in on it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked around the lump of ice-cream rapidly melting in her mouth and then spooned another mouthful for herself.

He scratched behind the dog's ears distractedly. "Things have escalated since the last time I saw you," he observed, squinting at her. "What was supposed to be a scouting mission has upgraded to a mess that has thrown even your father into a frenzy. If he knows the full story, I'm sure he'll be creating the apocalypse himself without waiting for the humans to do it for him."

She paused in her motion of feeding herself more of the cold treat, narrowing her eyes at her cousin. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you, Lex, Lena, and you and Lena." Kara tensed further at the mention of Lena, but only kept her eyes on Kal. "I think I should feel guilty for finding our fathers squirming in their seats funny, but I don't. I was just amused."

"You are not making _any_ sense right now," she complained.

He went ahead and told her about the meeting he had with the three brothers and Alex, about The Fates' disappearance had driven Zeus anxious – they held a lot of his secrets – and about how Kal and Alex had to try to keep mum and resist from laughing out loud at the sight of Zeus and Poseidon acting childlike and not at all like the gods they were. "I'm mostly just really impressed that our uncle was the icon of calm throughout the meeting and pretty much told them off in their faces before he left, not even attempting to offer any sliver of information he might have on why The Fates have decided to cut off all contact."

All the while, Kara had been staring at the remaining nine tubs of ice-cream left on the table – all the tubs of ice-cream in the world wouldn't be able to help her right now, _any_ of them. That day Hades had told her about the possibility of The Fates being involved in whatever this was, a part of her had refused to believe him. Any other demon or Olympian would have been easy to confront, but The Fates were an entirely different ballgame.

And despite the extent of her strength and her powers, she wasn't sure she would ever be prepared to challenge them. Even Zeus was devolving into a ten-year-old boy who had just found out that his Nintendo had been confiscated for…probably the rest of his life.

Wait. " _How_ do you even _know_ Lex? Or even _Lena_?" she demanded, shooting a brand new glare at him and discarding the empty tub for another one.

He blinked, and then his eyes widened, as if he just remembered that he might have forgotten something. "Right, uh…" he drifted off, frowning slightly, "Lex and I are best friends – or…were, I suppose. And that's how I know about his sister."

She raised her brows. "And you just figured that no warning would be necessary when you suddenly took up cab driving last time we saw each other."

"Lena would have killed me if she found out that I was even in close proximity at the time," he said with a mirthless laugh.

She frowned, starting to vehemently shake her head. "Lena would never –"

"It was a figure of speech, Kara," he cut her off with a fond smile.

She huffed, unhappy that she let her guard drop in front of him. "So why are you here and not Alex? Why wouldn't Lena want you in close proximity? Do you know what Lena is? Have you seen Lena?" She allowed herself to shoot off the questions that had only increased rather than decreased over the past few minutes, not allowing herself time to breathe or Kal the space to consider her questions.

He held up a hand. "Calm down and I'll try to explain everything to you, okay?" he implored.

She gripped harder on the spoon, glaring at the hand he had held up. She wanted to char it just for his audacity to tell her to calm down. She _couldn't_ calm down, which was pretty damn obvious. Ten tubs of ice-cream – one already in the trash – were proof of that. And she had thought earlier that forcing Lena to accept her help would be her biggest problem for now.

Kal met Lex when he and Lois were on a trip to the Underworld for a short visit to their uncle, and he found the demon to be interesting – suave and not at all fragile in his confidence and masculinity. He was soon introduced to Lena, but was made to sworn by Lex to never reveal his knowledge of her to anyone, otherwise Lex would not hesitate to hurt him – Kara had to smile at Lex's clear adoration for his sister.

Lex had always been a mischievous demon and drove Hades' almost crazy with his habit of toeing the lines with his actions and pranks. And one day, he just decided that maybe the mortal realm would be fun and got himself a daytrip without approval from Hades, and came back in love and determined. It turned out too late for them to stop him, because he had drunken from the Lethe and had deluded himself into thinking he was a mere mortal, in love with another mortal.

Lena was tasked with the job of keeping an eye on Lex, to ensure that he wouldn't go too far with the things that Hades would have tolerated in the Underworld. She had warned Kal to stay as far away from Lex to avoid triggering unnecessary memories or actions that may drive Lex mad. It was why Kal had to disguise himself as a cab driver when he met with Kara last time, but this time was different.

Because Hades – perhaps the most stubborn man Kara had ever encountered – was willing to approach Kal himself for help.

"If our uncle is willing to ask for my help, I think we can all agree that you or Lena is in no place to refuse it," Kal commented.

She scoffed. Honestly, she wouldn't mind. Even gods got headaches sometimes, and Kara had been getting a lot lately. But, "good luck with Lena."

"I already talked to her," Kal easily replied.

"Come again?" Kara demanded, dropping the tub she had been slowly demolishing just now on the table to face Kal fully.

She had her arms crossed and her brows drawn together in a deeply unhappy frown. What was this she was feeling? Betrayal? No, it was too mild for that, but there was _something_ just boiling the ends of her nerves at what Kal had just told her.

Okay, so maybe she didn't quite try, but she was all for consent and respecting a woman's wishes. And it was pretty clear that Lena _wished_ to be left alone and did not want Kara to bother her anymore, so that was what Kara _did_. But the fact that Kal had met with her and talked to her, obviously telling her the same thing he had just told Kara and announcing his involvement in this web of absolute shit, meant that Lena _was_ willing to accept help.

So…was the fact that Lena had turned Kara way a sign? A sign that she really just didn't want Kara around after all, and she was just trying to be nice. And did that mean that Kara should just ignore whatever Cat had told her just now and wallow by herself more? She really didn't want to be one of _those_ people, those people who just couldn't take no as an answer.

"Somehow, looking at her sitting at her desk just made her seem all the more intimidating, compared to being used to her always fooling around the dumb dog in the Underworld."

"The d – _Cerberus_?" He jumped slightly at her outcry, which served him right for taking her apparent meltdown too lightly. "First of all, Cerberus is not dumb. And second of all, will it _hurt_ you to explain yourself? I don't know everything, remember? As a matter of fact, I feel like I don't know _anything_. You and Lex are suddenly best friends. You and Lena suddenly know each other. You and Hades are suddenly buddies. You and Lena apparently talked and that probably meant that she just really doesn't like me and was being polite. You're here but Alex is not. The Fates are gone. And here I am, inhaling ten tubs – and maybe more later – of ice-cream because no one would tell me anything! My father tasked me to watch over a supposedly rogue demon who turned out had just fallen in love and was the brother of the woman I may or may not be romantically interested in. Oh, and said woman probably isn't even a demon!" she blew up, waving the spoon and tub in the air as she jumped to her feet and paced around the room. She stopped in her tracks and shot her cousin the best glare ever. "Listen, I know the war's been over for a long time, but I am _tired_ , okay? I just want to be left alone and pretend to be a mortal for as long as I can. Believe me, switching identities every once in awhile is so much easier than having to deal with Zeus and his stupid ego and the whole stupidity of Olympus itself. I thought this task would be easy, but apparently, it's not! So _please_ , for the sake of my mental ease, _stop_ being a fucking asshole and just tell me!" Her voice was thick with unbridled frustration and confusion as she yelled at him.

Kal joined her in standing up, letting Bench sit on the couch as he put up appeasing hands in a gesture of trying to calm her down. In true Kara fashion, she slapped them away without letting go of the ice-cream or the spoon, snarling in his face. "Don't."

He nodded and put his arms behind him as he shot her a look of understanding. "If it was Lois in danger, I'd be worried too."

"It's not the same."

"Why is it not the same?"

"Because I'm not in love with Lena." No, but she was self-aware enough to know that she was halfway there.

"You have a connection with Lena and she severed it without so much as given you a warning. I would be pissed too if Lois had done the same thing."

"It is _not_ the same!" she insisted, finally tossing the tub and spoon on the table to run her fingers through her hair.

He sighed, nodding, but clearly not believing her. "If it's any comfort, she didn't want my help too. I'm just not listening to her," he offered. "Our uncle is obviously worried enough about Lena to think that he himself wouldn't be able to solve it, and I'm not going to disagree with who is arguably the smartest man in _any_ realm, bar Lena and maybe Lex." He stopped for a moment, gauging her emotions. "And Lena cares about you, which was why she cut you off in the first place. She must have learned something during that trip when you found out about her, but she hasn't told any one of us about it. I don't think she'll tell us any sooner until she has to. But it's probably serious enough that she's trying to cut all of us off, even Hades."

"That's stupid."

He shrugged. "Even the smartest being can be blinded by emotions at times," he commented. "And I'm sorry, Kara, about everything."

She closed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Hades said that Lena and I are – that we may be the center points of this big…plot or whatever," she stammered, still processing the new information.

"It's no coincidence that you and Lena – an Olympian and a demon – just met like that, and because of _another_ demon, no less," he more or less clarified.

Inhaling and exhaling a few times, she nodded again. "So what do you need?"

"You are a _very_ powerful Olympian, and if combined with Lena, Hades and I think that it could be worse than when Ares tried to eliminate humanity."

"But we're not the real danger here."

"That's true," he agreed. "But we all know even the most benevolent of us all can turn out to be catastrophic by just a simple turn of events. And The Fates are very good at turning events for their own…pleasure." His lips twisted into a disgusted sneer at the idea. "We need you to keep a rein on your strength and try to watch out for anything that might pop up and turn out to be The Fates' doing."

She clenched her fists, gritting her jaw. "Believe me, if I hadn't been controlling myself, I would have known what Lena is earlier on," she growled. He closed his eyes, momentarily regretting his choice of words, but she ignored him and pushed forward. "The Fates aren't powerful enough to manipulate a goddess and a demon – or whatever Lena is – with just a spinning wheel."

He nodded. "This is the part where you should talk to Lena. Maybe she'll tell you more than us."

"She's not talking to me."

He snorted, adjusting the lapels of his jacket. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole purpose of these tubs to prepare yourself for the talk you're going to have with her soon?" he assumed, motioning at the tubs of ice-cream laid out carelessly on the coffee table. He chuckled at her look of defeat and reached out to pull her into a one-armed hug. "It's going to be okay, Kara. Our uncle and I will help as much as we can."

She nodded into his shoulder. "Okay."

* * *

 **so? let me know what you think! and if you have any ideas that you want me to incorporate into the story, feel free to let me know and i will try my best!**


	12. ad interim

**this is a little shorter than the usual chapters, but it is the appropriate way to end a chapter. you have no idea how many times i've erased and rewrote this one, i think i almost gave up and just uploaded an incomplete and definitely imperfect version. but i persisted, and here you are!**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

To be frank, she had utterly forgotten about Detective Maggie Sawyer or that the explosion of her office was technically still under investigation. There was too much on her mind, and a puny police investigation that wouldn't do anything to help her wasn't really in her priority list. Plus, the whole explosion was technically solved – at least she found out who it was, now she just needed to figure out the whole picture and end it before they went to larger measures to intimidate her.

But still, to see the detective standing outside her office, staunchly facing Jess who was carrying a determined look on her face, was enough to make her stop for a few seconds. She tilted her head, trying to look as pleasant as possible but also conveying the idea that she really wanted the detective to leave.

Because, apart from the fact that these humans in blue literally couldn't offer her any assistance at all, there was also the fact that she knew Kara had been working with the detective to help her before. Hence, the sight of Detective Sawyer had just become an associative of Kara Danvers, someone she had been trying to get out of her head for days.

"Detective…Sawyer, right?" she asked, deliberately obtuse.

"Miss Luthor."

Lena looked over from the detective to her assistant, who crossed her arms and huffed at Detective Sawyer. A proud and grateful smile appeared on Lena's face as she shook her head fondly at her assistant before she turned back to Detective Sawyer.

"Come in, detective," she invited, making her way into her office and then towards the bar. "Something to drink?"

"It's eight in the morning."

"Trust me, detective, drinking is whenever when you're a CEO." Lena shrugged. "But I'm not talking alcohol. I have coffee and water."

"Coffee is fine."

"Wise decision." She took out two cups and poured the pitch black liquid into them. When she handed one over to Detective Sawyer, she warned, "Fair warning though, the office coffee sucks."

Squinting, probably skeptical about her claim, the detective lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip, humming with a shrug. "You should try ours at the precinct," she commented.

Taking a seat on the couch, Lena could only bring the cup close enough to her nose to smell it before she blanched and put it down on the coffee table, not even taking a sip. Detective Sawyer stared at her in amusement. "What can I say? I'm entitled," Lena said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "What can I help you with?"

The amusement vanished, replaced by a detective who was very serious about her job. Detective Sawyer reached into her jacket and brought out a photo, showing it to Lena. "Do you know who this is?"

Zeroing in on the man captured in the photo, the CEO refrained from reacting to the recognition of him. She took in the other parts of the photo and found that it was actually a screen capture of the security footage of the morning the day of the explosion outside her office building. There wasn't a point in trying to hide his identity then, given that he was so dumb as to not even think about putting on a cap.

"Yes," she answered. The detective tilted her head as a prompt for Lena to continue. She took a second to scramble her brain for a closely similar and human sounding name. "His name is Mike." Good job, Lena.

"Mike…?"

"I don't know his last name."

"But you know him."

Lena wanted to laugh at the detective's perseverance to solve the case even though she would never, unless she was also an immortal being herself and could just descend to the Underworld whenever she wanted. Granted, she didn't know that, but honestly, if only these humans _knew_.

And she knew that she had to lie, but she was so tired of lying. Pretending to be human, pretending to be a sister who just admired her brother, pretending to be someone important when she wasn't anyone back home – they all seemed to be nothing and simple until Kara found out and it all just came crashing down on her, draining her energy like a succubus.

If she couldn't tell the truth, then maybe she could tell something close to it.

"He was my stalker in MIT," Lena offered.

The detective raised her brows. "You had a stalker?" At Lena's nod of confirmation, her brows dipped to form a frown. "There's no record of that."

"I didn't report it." _I handled it myself_.

"Why?"

"Because relying on myself is better than relying on the school board committee."

She could see that the detective was impressed by the way her frown disappeared into a barely concealed smirk. "Well, no offense, but I don't think it worked." To prove her point, she gestured at the photo again. "We scoured through the security footage outside the building for days, thinking that perpetrator only showed up after lunch. I know, we suck at our job. But this guy showed up in the morning, and somehow slipped past the security guard." Yeah, the most basic of a demon's abilities. "Do you think he might have done it?"

Flashes of Mon-El's sneer came to mind, stoking the repulse that had always been directed towards him. His voice – his warnings of hurting the people who even so much as come near her – echoed in the recesses of her brain. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a long time." Yet another lie; Lena wondered if she would ever stop.

"Facial recognition is not giving us anything," the detective said, impatience seeping into her voice.

"I know your colleagues think that I'm the one who did it," Lena revealed.

The other woman looked at her in surprise and then huffed a moment later. "I can't believe she told you."

"She is…" Lena paused. Was present tense still applicable in this situation? "Are you still working with her?"

"Haven't heard from her." Detective Sawyer pocketed the photo and rested her firm stare on Lena. "I don't know why, but I don't think you did it. And I'm trying to help you."

"I know. Thank you for believing in me."

"If there's anything –"

Lena couldn't tell her anything without jeopardizing her own task and putting the detective at risk. "I'll let you know, Detective Sawyer."

The detective nodded and stood up. "You can call me Maggie." Lena's brows rose. "I think we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other from now on."

Hopefully not. "Lena it is then, but don't tell my assistant," Lena said with a smirk as she stood as well.

Before the conversation could carry on, her office door slammed open, storming in with an angry expression and a heavy aura of Olympian blood was a woman with short red hair, donning a leather jacket and a pair of skin tight jeans. Jess came rushing in after the woman, similarly frustrated as she was when she was having a standoff with Maggie earlier.

"I need to talk to you," the redhead demanded of Lena.

"Miss Luthor, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop her," Jess cut in.

Lena stared at the stranger. "Do I know you?"

"You know my sister."

"And your sister is –"

"Good morning to you too, Alex," Maggie greeted, offering a teasing smile and a confused frown to the woman who just barged in.

The woman – Alex – seemed to have only noticed the detective's presence and did a double take. Her previously confident demeanor wavered as she took Maggie in – not unappreciatively, at that. Lena crossed her arms, waiting to see how this would pan out.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked after a few seconds of imitating a goldfish.

Maggie lifted her shoulders in a shrug, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "Following up on a case."

"Right," the Olympian breathed, blinking rapidly at the woman who had apparently disarmed her quite remarkably. "Well, you –" Alex waved aimlessly in the air "– can get out now." She swallowed, shot Lena a glare, and then looked back at Maggie. "I need to talk to her alone."

Instead of being offended, the detective only snorted, nodding. "I'll see you around, Alex," she offered. She turned to Lena, offered a nod, and then walked out of the room, though Lena did notice her checking Alex out before she departed.

"I said alone," Alex told Jess.

"You're not my boss," Jess easily replied, looking towards Lena to wait for her next order.

Lena narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "Your sister?" she steered the conversation back.

"Kara."

For a moment, there was only static in the air as her heart stuttered and her legs almost stumbled back. She kept her calm composure, not letting her emotions slip in front of a stranger – an Olympian, no less. Nodding towards Jess to indicate her agreement, she cleared her throat and motioned at the couch that Maggie had just occupied.

When the door closed behind Jess, she snapped, "You have _no_ business being here."

"What did you say to my sister?" Alex snarled.

"Do you have any idea the kind of danger you're putting us into? _Including_ your sister."

"Answer my goddamn question."

Lena clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and counted down from ten, inhaling and exhaling at every odd number. When she opened them again, she regarded the redhead with a cold smile. "Alex – it's Alex, right? I did what is best for all of us. I am keeping her out of danger. And you showing up here is really not helping me much here."

"I really don't care."

"You don't care if your sister stays alive," Lena deadpanned.

In two long strides, they were chest to chest, Alex's nostrils flaring and Lena not afraid at all. She had faced her fair share of intimidations in the past. "Kara can take care of herself," Alex growled, her voice lowered. "But she is currently moping with the damn dog and completely uninterested in pot stickers because of you, and she won't tell me what it is. So, Lena, _what_ did you tell her?"

Lena narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. "It is none of your business," she intoned, mirroring Alex's voice. When Alex lifted her fist in the air, she said, "I advise you to think very carefully before you lay a hand on me."

Fire burned behind her eyes, her muscles were clenching in that familiar way that had never failed to scare her, her blood sizzled within the vessels and traveled at light speed – she was about to turn, her voice had gone several tones lower, and Alex was witnessing it, judging by the way the Olympian stumbled back in shock.

"You're a –"

"Shut up," Lena commanded. And Alex closed her mouth instantly, her eyes wide with something akin to fear. Good. "Walk out of here right now. Stay out of my business. This has nothing to do with you. And if you want to keep your life, I suggest it stay that way."

And as apparent, the Danvers sisters were similarly stubborn, because Alex still refused to leave. "Does she know?" Alex asked.

Lena breathed heavily, in through her nose and out through her mouth. It was a technique Lex had taught her after one too many times of almost revealing herself due to anxiety or rage. "Get. Out."

Having significantly cooled down after witnessing the beginnings of Lena's true form – it had always sent chills down people's spines, including Hades – Alex's voice was softer, but not pleased still. "Kara is a mess because of you. I've seen that face on my sister before, and that was decades ago. I do not want to see it again. You need to fix it."

"I'm not going to say it again, Alex." To prove her point, Lena allowed a menial slice of her control slip, the ripples trembling beneath her skin.

Alex stared at her for a few moments longer and then sighed in dejection. "You know, Kara was so insistent that you are possibly the nicest person she's ever met. I've never seen her care about someone like this before. And so far, you have proven her so wrong. But she _still_ cares about you." The redhead shrugged to indicate her failure to understand.

Lena didn't need her to understand. She had always been fostering a one-woman army and she would continue. Hence, she stood there, her arms crossed, her temper stoked, the inner monster in her waiting to break out of her skin.

Alex shook her head and pointed a finger at Lena, like she wanted to say something but the words just couldn't make it out of her lips. But she just released a groan and stormed out of the office, slamming the door open and then close.

Lena exhaled loudly, her entire body shaking.

* * *

 _Lena (4:32 p.m.): When I told you we need to stop talking to each other, it also extends to your family_.

 _Kara (5:11 p.m.): Hi, Lena.  
Kara (5:11 p.m.): What are you talking about?_

 _Lena (5:14 p.m.): An Alex came looking for me at my office just now_.

* * *

" _Alex did what_?"

Lena blinked at Kara, hair no longer in a ponytail and glasses gone, all outraged and disbelieving and also a little nervous, and then she blinked at the broken glass that used to be door and window to her balcony. Sighing, two fingers pinched the bridge of astute nose, and she stood up from her chair, inspecting the state of the _newly repaired_ part of her office.

Waving a hand in the air, she said, "I assume your abilities include flying."

"Uh…" She didn't even have to bother to look at the blonde to know that she was starting look sheepish. Boot clad feet came into her vision as the goddess stood closer to Lena. "Sorry," Kara muttered.

Lena shook her head, lifting her gaze to the now clear sight of the city, taking in the buildings that were lit up and the billboards stacked up on top of them, announcing the next big underwear and phones. "What kind of goddess are you even, really? Carelessness?"

"My father granted me the name of Cherish."

The raven haired woman hummed to herself, appreciating the information. "I guess he's not all that stupid," she murmured, crossing her arms.

The familiarity of Kara's presence had instantly filled her with a sense of satisfaction, as if she had been missing something for the past week and the permission to finally relax was granted now. All her life spent to build up her stronghold and walls, only to be wrecked by a gorgeous being whom she knew in her essence would never be allowed near her in any capacity other than a friend. Welcome to her life, she supposed.

Before she texted Kara, she had spent close to two hours pacing the floor of her office with the phone clenched tight between her fingers. Jess had caught her thirty minutes in, and Lena had shot her a glare before she could say anything. Her calculations told her that there would be a seventy percent chance of Kara coming straight to her if she texted her – and her calculations were correct, she just didn't expect Kara to _fly_ in.

And yet, she sent that text anyway.

She really didn't want to explore what that meant.

"My sister came?" Kara asked.

Lena closed her eyes, offering permission for the timber of Kara's voice to wash over her, letting that floating piece of fragment in her chest to settle at the bottom, consenting to the tug in her head that was telling her to stop resisting. Maybe this was where they were supposed to be. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe. Perhaps. Possibly. Probably.

Kal's voice floated in her head: _It's not weak to ask for help_.

He was probably right, but another question came to mind: Was it weak to ask for love?

"This morning," she finally answered, sensing the impatience Kara was beginning to exude due to her silence. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "She's nice."

The corners of blood red lips lifted to a smile for the first time tonight when Kara scoffed. "Can't imagine."

"That's a lot of confidence."

"Alex can be very protective."

"I know." She maneuvered her heels through the glass fragments to step out onto the balcony and lean her forearm against the railing. "National City," she commended in a sigh, catching her gaze on a distant red car that was traveling down the 9th and then turning right into a parking lot building. She wondered what the driver was up to – pick up a girlfriend, going home, dealing drugs, running an illegal gambling ring, planning an assassination – and she admired them for not having to deal with demons and gods and the _fucking_ Fates.

"What did she say?" Kara asked, still planted where she was, like she didn't dare to come closer. Lena didn't correct her; she needed the space.

"I heard you haven't been yourself."

After a long moment of silence, the blonde made to move next to her, mirroring her position. "I haven't been myself for centuries," Kara admitted, quieter and calmer – _somber_. "To be honest, the only time I can be myself is when I'm with Alex, Hades and Persephone…" she drifted off. Lena, knowing she had more to say, waited. "And you."

Lena exhaled sharply, bowing her head. She had wanted to keep this up longer. For the rest of her life, if at all possible, because Kara was a risk to her and Kara was something she _wanted_ , truly wanted. And yet, now, without even looking at her, Lena knew that it wasn't possible.

Putting Kara at a distance just wasn't an option.

"The reason I didn't want you anywhere near me was so that you _can_ be yourself."

"That's stupid," Kara said without a pause.

"You can live your own life. You don't have to worry about me unnecessarily. You can keep on pretending to be a human and keep your job and eat donuts. You are _safer_ away from me."

"I can make my own decisions," Kara snapped. "And worrying about you isn't unnecessary because you're my friend and I care about you. I like pretending to be a human and my job and donuts, but I certainly like you more than those things. And I can take care of myself."

"I don't want you to _have_ to take care of yourself."

"I can make my own decisions," the blonde reiterated. She could feel Kara's eyes burning into the side of her head. A moment later, Kara huffed. "You haven't looked at me once," she complained.

Lena zeroed in on a woman who just came out from the apartment building on the opposite side of the street. She watched the woman walk up to a man, hug him, and walk away arm in arm with him. They disappeared into a corner, and she shifted her eyes to the lamppost on the sidewalk.

"Lena."

She closed her eyes from the lamppost at the liquid lava that immersed into her blood at the sound of Kara's voice calling her name. "If I look at you, I will apologize. I don't want to apologize. I was only doing what I thought was right."

"Do you still think it's right?"

"I think that it doesn't matter anymore."

"Ares used to be my mentor," Kara said after a prolonged silence. "He was smart, patient, kind, and he loved me. He offered me advice that I still remember to this day. He taught me how to control my powers. He guided me in fighting without using my powers. I used to think that he's the best brother anyone can ever ask for." A pained sigh escaped Kara's lips. "To be honest, though, I saw the signs long ago – his jealousy, his anger, his ruthlessness. I just chose to ignore them, refused to see the undercurrents slowly boiling to the surface until it was too late. When I was standing on the other side of the battlefield, I felt so guilty. I could have warned my father, could have warned anyone, but I didn't, because I just wanted the idea that my brother was still my brother to stay."

Kara didn't say it, but Lena understood what Kara was trying to tell her. Sometimes, people just did things the wrong way for the right reasons, they shouldn't apologize for that. She remembered the secret role she played in the war, how devastating it was and how weak Hades became, and she wished she had met Kara then.

"Lena, look at me."

Unable to fight it anymore, she allowed Kara's voice to tug her chin up and her vision to be flooded with the absolute vision that Kara was. Not an ounce of remorse could be seen in Kara's clear blue eyes, her chin was gently set, her hands were loose by her sides, her nose was just set in that adorably crooked way, and the scar on her forehead was still prominent.

Oh, Lena had missed her.

"I missed you," Kara lamented softly, smiling with that delicate curve to her lips.

"How can you not hate me?"

Kara laughed, like it was the most ridiculous thing that Lena had said, and Lena couldn't understand why. "I don't think it'd be possible even if I tried."

The raven haired woman could only stare. She could think of so many reasons for people to hate her – hell, people had hated her for no good reason at all – but here this goddess was, pretty much telling her the one thing that was a taboo in their culture.

"You know, I was planning on storming in after work to give you a piece of my mind and force you to let me continue be your friend," Kara said, cocking her brows and smiling wider.

The atmosphere instantly lightened and Lena snorted. "You certainly did make a show for it," she pointed out, gesturing behind her at the scatted glass pieces.

"I said sorry!"

"Jess is going to be so pissed at you."

" _Jess_ is going to be pissed at me?" Kara narrowed her eyes.

Lena shrugged. "Jess," she affirmed, smiling as well.

Kara tilted her head and took a step closer to Lena, so close that they were feet to feet. Lena was putting in every effort not to wrap her arms around the goddess and kiss those lips. "Does this mean we're friends again?"

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter."

Kara hummed, seemed to be thoughtful, and then shook her head resolutely. "You really don't."

Lena laughed, staring at Kara longer. She could easily just step closer and do the things she had wanted to do to Kara for a long time. But as she remembered the troubles waiting for them tomorrow and the days after that, it wasn't the right time. There probably would never be a right time.

She stepped back, ignoring the minute disappointment that flashed across Kara's face. "Gonna help me clean up?"

They spent the next half an hour cleaning up, laughing and talking about nothing, and then another hour drinking red wine and hearing each other complain about work. For tonight, they allowed themselves reprieve, because Mon-El's words still rang true, her mother was still plotting, and the Fates were still weaving, but they would let themselves have this night.

* * *

 **so do you love me or what? let me know in the comments!**


	13. second thoughts and maybes

**this has to be the longest chapter in this fic. you know, since y'all have to go through like four chapters of angst between lena and kara, i figured you deserve a little more fluff, so here it is. i tried, but i'm not a good fluff writer, but i tried. so like, be nice.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

"She's avoiding me."

"She doesn't seem to be the avoiding kind."

Kara scoffed, watching as Bench wriggle in Lena's arms to climb higher up her chest only to fail and stumble back down to her lap. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips at the sight. "Oh, Alex knows how angry I am at her," she replied.

The raven haired woman cast Kara a disapproving look and then heaved an unexpected chuckle when Bench tried and failed again. To appease him, she curled her fingers under his forelegs and lifted him up to cuddle him to her chest. Once he seemed to be satisfied, she said, "She's only looking out for you."

"Remember when I told you –"

"– you can take care of yourself," Lena said in mild exasperation, rolling her eyes. She nodded. "Yes, I know. But you're her sister, or as much of a sister as you can be, so you can't really blame her." She looked away from Kara to stare out at the pond rippling a few feet away from them. "I would know."

Kara followed Lena's gaze, sighing. It had only been two days since their reconciliation, and Lena hadn't told her much – for one, what exactly she was other than a demon – but she had told her enough. She admired and respected Lena for sacrificing her home to come and protect her brother; she didn't know if she would have done the same. While Kara herself had found comfort among the mortals, not a lot of people could say the same.

The mortals were not exactly flawless. Each and every one of these humans had their flaws, bound by the seven sins that never failed to grip at their weakest points and devour various parts of their compassion and humanity. And the immortals had seen so much worse that finding escape in a realm where things didn't seem much different was not a choice.

Kara was the rare one to be able to appreciate these flaws. She and Diana had bonded over their appreciation of humanity's errors. If she was to put it in crueler terms, humans were created _exactly_ in her father's image. And yet, there was more respite here than in Olympus. At the very least, they had no knowledge of the Fates and that they didn't really have free will after all. To live in such oblivion, Kara had always wished for that.

"She still shouldn't have done that," Kara said.

Lena snorted. "Let's put it this way," she started, tilting her head slightly to the left. "If she hadn't come to see me, I wouldn't have texted you. If I hadn't texted you, we wouldn't be here right now." As if to prove her point, she cooed down at Bench and kissed the top of his head.

The blonde considered Lena's analogy and then huffed in displease. "You're awful. I just want to stay mad at my sister longer. I don't get to do that a lot."

"You can understand my point and still be mad at her," Lena offered. "I mean, I'm _here_ and I'm still mad at Lex. Trust me when I say that when we return, I'm gonna punish him so badly he'll beg for his life."

Kara laughed, throwing her arms back to lounge against the bench, inadvertently almost wrapping one around Lena's back. When the inevitable warmth that was Lena – ironic, really, since she was a demon – reached her skin, she tensed slightly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to touch Lena; she _wanted_ so much to touch Lena, to do more than just touch Lena. Since the night they had repaired their friendship, Kara had been trying to restrain herself from doing anything that could drive Lena away again – she wasn't entirely sure she could bear it. The things Lena had told her that night – about her mother's dalliance with her father, her stepmother, the other secret part of her identity which she still wouldn't tell Kara, and the isolation she had to put herself through – were enough to tell Kara that she wasn't a very receptive person to touch.

And Kara, while a very a tactile person, just wanted to respect that.

Hence why she was surprised when Lena only leaned back, fully reclining into her arm, without so much as a flinch or sign of hesitation, but she wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. If Lena didn't mind, Kara really wouldn't be opposed. The CEO had fast become her closest friend, and Kara liked touching her friends.

"How are things with him and that girl?" she asked.

Lena rolled her eyes. "They're going," she grumbled, and the blonde could see that it wasn't because she was displeased about the fact that he came here solely for the woman. "You'd think with how infatuated he is with her, he'd have made a move already."

"Oh, no," Kara indulged.

"I haven't met the woman, but at this point, I don't think I need to like her to actually bring them together. I'm so tired of hearing him talk about her but not doing anything about it. All these would have been for nothing if he 'died' without having at least slept with her once."

Eyes narrowed, Kara opined, "I don't think that's how it works."

"Listen, I'm all for female empowerment. Persephone is my icon. Hell, I've had enough experience with oppressing males to _want_ more for women. But _come on_ , it's pretty obvious she's as into him as he is with her."

Watching Lena being so unencumbered with her frustration, Kara had to wonder if Lena had the same opportunity back home. Had she ever had a chance at childhood? Uninhibited joy? She deserved that, at the least of it all. She couldn't keep her eyes away as Lena's eyes lit up playing with Bench.

"From what I've heard, your brother's smart. I'm sure he'll find his way."

Lena shrugged. "Well, whatever the outcome, I still have to be stuck here for what is supposedly my entire life. Might as well make the most of it myself."

Hearing that, Kara made a decision quietly.

* * *

Time with Lena had always felt short-lived. One hour of lunch was never enough. She needed more – she wanted to hear Lena complain about the people she had to deal with and Jess' absolute refusal to address her informally; she wanted to force herself to eat kale because Lena, for some godforsaken reason, liked those stuff; she wanted to bring Lena waffles and fat Chinese from time to time; she wanted to give Lena a bare window of opportunity to let herself loose and not to worry about her image as a regal CEO who didn't take no shit.

When they parted ways, Kara couldn't help but lean over to hug Lena one last time, and only held on longer as Lena hugged her back. There wasn't much she could give Lena now – and if the rules imposed upon demons and Olympians were unbreakable, then it would probably stay that way – but she could give her this much – a sliver of comfort and reassurance that Kara Danvers would always be there at the end of the line.

Bench had just been dropped off and the light was red, forbidding her to cross, when she witnessed something that, quite honestly, shocked her to her core, so much so that she stood stuck there on the curb even when the light turned green as she couldn't bring herself to stop watching. She wouldn't say that the shock was as severe as the one she had gotten when she entered the Underworld and encountered Lena, but it was definitely a close second.

Alex was standing at the opposite of the road, leaning against a telephone booth and seemed to be enjoying herself with _Maggie Sawyer_. Her sister's posture was entirely relaxed; her arms crossed loosely, one ankle tucked behind the other, and her head thrown back in a laugh. There was no sign of tension anywhere, and Alex was one of the most careful people she knew.

Kara shook her head frantically, as if she would be able to shake it away and file it as an imagination. But when she turned to that direction again, they were still there.

"Alex?"

It was just a whisper, but given that Alex never cut herself off from her goddess elements, she definitely heard Kara. The redhead stiffened mid-laugh, and then stiffly turned to Kara's direction, mortification apparent across her face.

 _Oh shit_ , Alex mouthed. Kara cocked her brows, shooting her sister a challenging look as she allowed her eyes to drift to Maggie and then back at her, her question cutting across the road without even having to mutter a word. And then, yet another thing Kara had rarely seen her sister do, Alex fumbled and stumbled from the telephone booth, pushing away from it.

Kara, having gathered herself from the initial shock, crossed the road and made a beeline for the duo. Maggie didn't hide her confusion at Alex's sudden change of character as she looked between the two of them.

"Alex. Maggie," she enunciated carefully, throwing her sister a pointed look. "What a coincidence."

Maggie smiled politely at her. "Kara," she pronounced slowly, still wary.

"Maggie –" Kara's brows rose higher "– sorry, but I need to talk to my sister," Alex said, smiling awkwardly at the detective.

Thankfully, the woman didn't protest, only nodded. Good thing she was perceptive. "I gotta head back to the precinct anyway. See you around, Danvers," she said, offering another nod at Kara and then walked away.

They watched her walk away until she disappeared around the corner. "I don't know if I should be offended or delighted," Kara commented.

Alex released a nervous laughter, which prompted Kara to look at Alex like she was a stranger. "I can –"

"You can explain to me after work," the blonde interjected, pinning her sister down with a look that told her there was no getting out of this.

Alex sucked in a deep breath and nodded stiffly, humming in agreement. "See you after work then," she _squeaked_.

Kara closed her eyes, shaking her head to herself. "Yeah, I'm gonna go," she muttered before she turned around and made the rest of her walk back to the office.

Alex was being too weird and she didn't have time to deal with it yet.

* * *

Work was…distracted. James asked her a question and it took her fifteen minutes to formulate an answer because she didn't quite know what he was asking. Winn invited her out for scones and she said no, which caused him to drop his jaw. Snapper had to yell at her after knocking on her office door five million times.

But at least she was submitting articles that didn't drive Snapper to complain to Cat again, so that was something.

When the clock struck half past five, she offered her goodbyes hastily and sidestepped a man who was holding a large box to snatch the elevator and then close the doors in his face. On a normal day, she would have let him through first and maybe even help him, but not tonight. Tonight, there was a raven haired woman clinging in the back of her mind and there was the image of Alex laughing with Maggie.

She may not be able to handle the first one; it would take a lot of time. But the second one only needed an explanation and maybe a couple of smacks on Alex and then it would be gone. One less distraction was better than too many distractions.

Her sister was sitting upright on the couch, paying no mind to Bench who was nibbling at her jeans' edge, her eyes staring at nothing. A beer can, while opened, sat unattended to on the coffee table, close to the edge but nowhere near falling. With the way that Alex was always on alert, there was no way she wouldn't have noticed Kara's presence the moment she entered the building and made her way up the stairs. But now, it was as if she wasn't even in this dimension at all.

"You're cleaning up if that can falls over," she said. Her wariness peaked when she saw Alex jumped and almost yelped, tugging her leg away from Bench and standing up.

Alex turned to face Kara, but didn't look at her at all. Her hands were stuffed into the back pockets of her jeans and she was _fidgeting_. "Hey, Kara, how was work?"

The blonde frowned at her sister for a long second before she closed her eyes, sucking in a breath, and then addressed Alex with a patient yet confused tone. "I'm gonna go shower and change. While I do that, please get yourself together." She didn't walk away until Alex nodded in affirmation, and then she hurried into her room.

The familiar aroma of pot stickers, noodles, and sweet and sour pork wafted into her nose as soon as she stepped out of the shower, and for second she wondered if Alex robbed the Chinese restaurant or if she took that long to shower. Nevertheless, who was she to say no to great pot stickers? So she picked up a couple of plates and sets of cutleries to the living room and sat down next to her sister.

"So," she incited after her first pot sticker, staring at her sister, who had at least stopped fidgeting, "you've been avoiding me."

Knowing there was no way for her to talk her way out, Alex only plowed on, "I want you to know that I only did that because I was worried about you."

"So you decided to go on and potentially alienate the one person I was torn up over further."

"I came for a visit and you were demolishing what was possibly the fiftieth tub of Ben & Jerry's, binge watching Golden Girls, and crying. You wouldn't tell me what was going on. I had to do something."

"I love Ben & Jerry's!"

" _Fiftieth_ , Kara."

Kara made a sound of annoyance, feeding herself more noodles. "Kal-El came," she offered after a prolonged silence. To be honest, her sister's avoidance wasn't really unwelcomed; it offered her respite and time to think about Kal's visit and the things he had told her. Plus, she wasn't even sure how she was going to tell Alex about it, but she knew she had to, because at this point, she and Lena were going to need all the help they could get.

Alex shot up straight, almost kicking Bench in the process. Kara shot her a glare, but she paid no mind. "Kal-El. Like your cousin, Kal-El. The one who smells really good, Kal-El."

"You really need to let that go," Kara grumbled, not hiding her distaste at her sister's admiration of her cousin's _smell_ – it was creepy. "How many Kal-Els do you know?" she posed.

"So your cousin came to visit you. He does that from time to time. What's the problem?" It was obvious from the way Alex had devolved back into the previous fidgets that she was trying to hide something. And Kara knew exactly what it was.

She kicked her sister lightly on her thigh. "Don't pretend to be stupid. You're better than that."

The redhead rubbed at the sore spot on her thigh, sighing. "He should not have told you anything," she muttered.

"And why not?" Kara demanded.

"You have enough on your plate."

She growled, rolling her eyes as she threw her head back in frustration. "Why do you people always think that I should be kept in a cocoon of oblivion?" she complained. "I can handle myself!"

Alex frowned. " _You people_?" she quoted.

"I talked to Lena." She proceeded to tell Alex about the purpose behind Lena's deliberate estrangement between them and the details that she had gotten so far about the attack, not hiding her distaste when she mentioned the despicable creature, Mon-El. "I swear to Olympus, Alex, when I finally meet him, I'll fucking rip him apart."

Her sister did a mild double take at her choice of language. "You really care about her," she observed.

Remembering how glad she was to see Lena so relaxed and carefree with her, despite the things she had been through and was still going through, Kara lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "She's my best friend. I want her to be happy and safe. Especially safe. And happy. _Both_."

Alex narrowed her eyes, humming in the way when she was skeptical about something.

"What?"

"Nothing." Alex shook her head.

Kara stared at her sister longer, wanting to push further, but for now, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Alex was thinking about. "I didn't know you and Maggie suddenly became BFFs," she mentioned. Alex froze. "Yeah, I didn't forget about it. What was that about?"

Alex went quiet, but not because she was nervous, though she still was. But it was something else. Wistfulness and something else akin to light crossed Alex's expression as she cast her gaze towards the blank television. Her lower lip was tugged in and her fingers laid spread across her thighs, one finger tapping to an unrecognizable rhythm, maybe even no rhythm at all.

Never had she ever seen Alex like this before. The last time she saw something even close to that look was when she met Lucy, and they only had a short dalliance before they realized it was not to be. "Alex?" she prodded.

"Maggie was there when I confronted Lena at her office," Alex began. "When it was clear that Lena wasn't going to tell me anything, I got out of the building and…she was there." A reluctant smile tugged at Lena's lips. "Wanted to buy me coffee, she said. So we went for coffee."

Kara's eyes widened. "She asked you out on a _date_?"

Alex licked her bottom lip, tongue lingering at the edge. "Didn't feel like a date," she replied quietly. "It was nice. She's nice. _Really_ nice." She took a deep breath. "And then, you know, I was avoiding you, but I stayed here, because I was still trying to grow a pair and talk to you. And then she just…you know, kept inviting me for lunch and dinner and drinks."

"Sounds like she's been taking you out on dates."

Head lowered, Alex put her palms together and rubbed them, getting faster and faster with each motion. "Is it silly that I keep wishing she was?" It came out meek, like she was scared and uncertain; Maggie had thrown Alex off her course. "I mean, she keeps texting me, I keep texting back, we go out, and every time, I just wish she'd make a move."

Kara put down her food and shifted closer to her sister. She could see that Alex was at the edge of what could be considered a nervous breakdown, so she wrapped an arm around Alex's form, pulling her closer. "Alex, it's not silly," she implored. She didn't like seeing her sister like this, so conflicted and uncertain. Alex had always been the sure one, the one with the rules, and she was always the one keeping Kara in check.

"She's _human_ , Kara."

The blonde flinched. "Fuck that," she whispered. Alex glanced at her in surprise and she mustered a kind smile. "If you like her, you like her. You can't help your feelings."

"Feelings are stupid."

Kara thought about how watching Lena smile alone warmed the crevices in her chest and made her forget about the hauntings that lingered in her head. "They are." She rubbed her hands up and down Alex's arms firmly in an attempt to let her know that she wasn't alone. "You're a goddess, Alex. You can do anything, including making a move yourself."

"Will you laugh at me if I say that I'm scared?"

When she went over to Lena's office that night and finally landed, there was a hollow in her stomach, clawing at her insides and taunting her for not maintaining the bravery she had during the war at the face of a beautiful woman. Fear wasn't an unfamiliar thing, really. "No," she said understandingly. "I'd say it's normal. But, Alex, you don't have to be scared. Take a chance. That's what Diana did." She didn't bring up the fact that Diana's bravery had ripped apart her vision of a utopian world, or that she didn't quite get her happy ending after all.

"She's a _demi_ goddess."

"That's an excuse."

"What if Maggie doesn't feel the same way?"

Kara scoffed, shaking her head. "If she's really been talking to you and asking you out all this time like you told me, I don't think you need to worry about that." She tightened her arms around her sister, swallowing the envy that rose in her throat. "And hey, at least she's not a demon."

Alex released a rough laugh. She leaned into Kara's body, tucking her head in the nook between Kara's neck and shoulder and putting her hand atop Kara's on her arms. "You are in such deep shit."

The blonde couldn't help but snorted. "I so am."

And then they drifted into the silence, allowing the busyness of National City and the muffled sounds of the mortals who had absolutely no idea that the utopia they deemed heaven were not that heavenly at all to seep into the empty spaces between them. They took comfort in the fact that one would always be there for the other no matter what.

* * *

When she made sure that Alex was peaceful in her sleep, she slipped out to the fire escape, bringing Bench with her but also ensuring that he wouldn't slip out through the gaps and fall to his death. Lena might have forgiven her for her outburst and irrationality, but she definitely wouldn't forgive her if she let the dog die by accident.

Two nights ago, she had allowed her impulse and panic to reach into the deepest core of her being and ignited her powers to fly over to Lena's office, ruining her windows in the process. Jess was still glaring at her for it. The short flight over had been nothing short of adrenaline-filled and crippling. She hadn't realized that so many immortals – Olympians and demons alike – had made their ways to the mortal realm, and the auras had attacked her sensors so badly that she almost collapsed and made a mess right in the middle of city.

But those weren't the worst of it all.

Her feet didn't even have to lift off from the fire escape for her to tune into the distinctive element that she was making her way to. Even miles away, Lena had a commanding presence, magnetic and practically horrifying, demanding attention and fear every inch. And what was worse, Kara couldn't fight it – the pull in her chest that only loosened the closer she got to the building, to Lena. Even now, with her powers locked in a chest again, she still couldn't get rid of the pull.

She wanted to fool herself into thinking it as the Fates' doing. That would be so much easier. But she also wasn't so foolish as to deny to herself that Lena was just a demon friend. She wondered if this was what Alex felt with Maggie or Diana with Captain Trevor. Maybe even Hades could offer her some advice. After all, he _married_ a goddess despite being a ruler over all demons. Still, as much as he wanted to shirk that identity, he was a god.

Fishing out her phone, she didn't allow hesitation to stop her from dialing the number that she had memorized. It took two rings for the other person to pick up.

"Hello?"

That voice sounded like salvation. Kara closed her eyes, allowing the voice that had pronounced the two syllables to offer her prayers relief. Overwhelm flooded her instincts, calling out to her to let go of inhibitions and rules and extend her father a graceful 'fuck you'. Alex was right: feelings _were_ stupid.

"Lena," she breathed, huge and profound. Behind her lids, the woman's face came across in Technicolor, and she could see it, Lena dressed in a sweater and a pair of yoga pants with her hair tugged into a messy ponytail, probably wearing her glasses even though she didn't need them.

Lena was trouble, and Kara had never been able to resist trouble. "Hey, is everything okay?" the demon asked.

The blonde nodded, knowing that Lena could probably see it without actually seeing it. Somehow, Lena had become one of the people who knew her best. Funny how things turned out. "Yeah, I just…" She bit her lip, absentmindedly stroking Bench's hair while keeping one leg extended against the railing to keep him from poking his head out the gaps. "…wanted to hear your voice," she concluded, her veins shaking and her heart pounding. "Is that okay?"

There wasn't a sound, save for the occasional blaring of car horns and shouts of joy below. Maybe she shouldn't have called. Maybe she should have slipped into bed with her sister and went to sleep. Maybe she should have been firmer and distrusted Lena and Lex immediately. Maybe she shouldn't have let Lena do these things to her before it was too late. Maybe she should have stayed in Olympus. Maybe she shouldn't have defied her father. Maybe she shouldn't have fallen.

Her breath caught in her lungs when Lena spoke again. "Yes, of course." Ares' defeat hadn't filled with so much relief as Lena's assurance had. "It's late, Kara. Don't you have work in the morning?"

A glance at the clock told her it was a couple of minutes after one in the morning, and yes, there was work in the morning. But for now, Snapper and Cat didn't seem as important as the delightful weight that Lena's voice had installed in her brain. It was juvenile, and she could already hear her father's voice booming in her head, scolding her for this sign of weakness that was unfit for a goddess.

Honestly, she really couldn't give a crap.

There was so much she wanted to say, but nothing she could say, so she settled for the easiest one. "What are we going to do about the Fates?" she asked. Nobody said that it _was_ easy, just that it was _easiest_ out of all the things she wanted to say.

"Kara," Lena said, painfully slowly, like she was talking to a child.

"I think we both know that they have something planned for the _two_ of us," Kara replied, waggling one finger in the air. "My life is at stake here as well."

"My mother orchestrated this whole sham. I know this," Lena said. "I will not have you in the crosshairs between whatever this whole thing is between her and me."

For a few short moments, Kara wished that they – the immortals – didn't have to hide and could show themselves to the mortals. She wanted to them to see that not all demons were treacherous, just like not all Olympians were kind. Most of all, she was confident that one look at her father would cause all humans to regard them with disgust; one look at Lena would – well, they would probably start worshipping her as the new god.

Kara would.

An inevitable smile crawled to Kara's lips at Lena's persistence to keep her out of danger, even when they had already reconciled. "If she did design this whole thing, then there has to be a reason that she brought me into it."

"Maybe you were just a random pick."

"Ouch," she gasped.

When Lena laughed, Kara smiled wider. No one she had met – not even Hades – was quite as reserved as Lena. It would take a lot of effort for someone to even move Lena's heart an inch and have her make that kind of sound, and Kara…well, it honestly took Kara's breath away to realize that she managed to do that without the lengths that most had to go to.

Lena's laughter dissolved. "They are dangerous, Kara. Mon-El, my mother, the _Fates_ , and I don't think I'm brave enough to just let you join in the fray." Fragility only seemed to strengthen over the crackle of the call; Kara found she didn't like it.

"Good thing you don't have to _let_ me," Kara easily replied.

Closing her eyes again, there was Lena, probably staring out the window, hopefully in Kara's direction, conflicted and biting her lip harder. "We're gonna need all the help we can get," Lena finally said.

And believe her, if smiles could shine the world, the one Kara was carrying right now would have set the earth on fire. "I know just the person."

* * *

 _Kara (2:03 p.m.): Hey_

 _Diana (3:54 p.m.): Hello, Kara. How are you?_

 _Kara (3:54 p.m.): Yeah, that's the thing. I need your help.  
Kara (3:55 p.m.): Sorry to jump on you on such short notice. _

_Diana (4:09 p.m.): Anything for a sister. What do you need?_

* * *

 **i said i would bring in diana prince and i will. i _have_! hah! also, there's sanvers! i'm amazing, i know, tell me in the comments ;)**


	14. imitations of nature

**happy new year, readers! i wanted to post this chapter last week as the final chapter of 2017, but i got too busy with work and family stuff, so i apologize for that. thus i'm making this the first upload and first chapter for this fic of 2018!**

 **it's only been one week and 20gayteen has been a pretty wild ride, eh? donald trump has a bigger button, kfc has more gravy, ellen page got married...oh, and we finally found out katie mcgrath's birthday! rip david harewood.**

 **well, anyway, i'm moving this along, but there's a surprise at the end of the chapter so ;)**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

"Do _not_ touch anything," Lena ordered as she swiped her access card and the door unlatched for her.

Lex made an affronted noise and laid a hand on his chest, feigning offense. "I would never."

She cast him a skeptical look, leading him down the aisles of lab tables and greeting the staff present. It was late, so people were scarce, which was good. If Lex were to set anything afire or do something worse, there wouldn't be any unnecessary injuries. "I mean it," she insisted, slapping his hand away before he could touch a burette filled with blue liquid.

He exhaled an exaggerated yelp, clutching the hand close to his chest again. "Do I have to remind you that I am the older sibling?"

"Oh, shut up."

This morning, he had called her and told him that he'd dropped in for a visit. Just all of a sudden, out of nowhere; she wanted to be pissed, but looking at him now, wandering near her vicinity, she couldn't. Truthfully, she missed him, especially after everything that had transpired. He also told her that Lana Lang had joined him, but due to prior engagement, she couldn't meet them until later tonight.

Which was fine, because Lena wanted some time to prepare a well thought out speech for the woman who had caused a lot of people a lot of trouble, even though Lana didn't know it.

They reached another door and she swiped her card again to gain entry. Inside laid a mess of equipment, most likely left by the researchers and engineers who were working on the project. On the main table that sat in the middle of the room was the Air Maker prototype.

"We're eighty percent done," she informed her brother, moving towards what was her pride and joy on the face of this realm. Before she left, she was determined to make this thing a success and create a survival opportunity for the humans.

Lex hummed in appreciation, approaching the table and leaning down to have a close look at it. "You're faster than I thought," he murmured, absorbed in the design of the device.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" she scoffed, smirking when he looked up at her with a hint of annoyance.

"There is no need to brag."

"Oh, I intend to brag as much as I can with you."

He drew out one of his hands from his pocket and waved it in the air, attention returning to the device. "Yes, you're the smarter one, I know."

"As long as you remember," she said, tucking on gloves and picking the device up.

Twirling it in her hands, adoration rose in her. She hadn't had much of a chance to spend her time down here and tinker with this thing, given that she was still CEO and Jess had more or less told her that her responsibilities stretched far beyond being cooped up in a laboratory. Sometimes, she wondered if she should have approached her brother for the job at all.

She smiled inadvertently. "It's a beauty."

Lex mirrored the smile with pride, nodding and ducking his chin lower, something he did when he was happy with or for her. "You did a good job," he said, no sign of teasing in his voice, just pure and unadulterated pride. "With this and with the company," he added.

"Yeah?" Because as proud and assured as she was in herself, Lex was still her big brother and the only family she got.

A big and strong arm reached around her shoulders to pull her towards him, curling her body into his, ensconced in the warmth that she would never tire of – a brotherly and loving embrace. They stared at the device together. "Absolutely," he reassured, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

It was past eleven o'clock when they finally emerged from the building and were prepared to head back over to her place, where Lana had agreed to meet up with them. They spent two hours discussing the details of the Air Maker, throwing suggestions and vetoing ideas and offering advice. It was way too easy to fall back into the camaraderie they always had when they put their brains together.

She had truly missed her brother. And their time spent together in the laboratory had reinforced her determination to see this thing out, just so her brother could have happiness – as short as it would be – and be able to go home soon and return to their lives. She had given her driver a day off today, because Lex had exclaimed that he wanted to spend time with her alone and didn't want someone else there with them.

As Lex maneuvered his car out of the parking lot, she finally asked, "Did you finally make a move on Lana?" She regretted asking when he almost swerved into a wall. "Okay, seriously, that was just a question." A car behind them honked, which she didn't blame the driver for.

"She – well – um…" he drifted off, squinting slightly, as if he was carefully pondering his next words.

She stared at him for a second before a disbelieving chuckle escaped her lungs. "Are you _stuttering_?" Her brother was one of the most confident men she knew, always very assured in his abilities and never wavering in his decisions, even in the face of Hades. That was well proven in his choice to drink the Lethe waters, in spite of Hades _and_ Persephone's staunch opposition.

"You wouldn't understand," he grumbled, scowling.

Blonde hair and blue eyes and argyle came to her mind and she quirked a brow with a shrug. "You'd be surprised." He swerved again. She grabbed onto the handle above the door and shot him a glare. " _Seriously_?" More honks sounded behind them.

"Why would I be surprised? What do you mean? Did you meet someone?" A grin spread across his face as he teasingly nudged her knee, waggling his brows. It was as if he was unaware of what kind of road risk he had become.

"We're not talking about me," she curtly replied.

"Oh, come on!" he whinnied, shifting lanes without flicking the signal, eliciting more displeased honks.

She cupped half of her face with her free hand, groaning. "Oh my god," she whispered. "Do you drive like this in Metropolis?"

He shrugged. "I don't drive in Metropolis."

"Oh, of course," she deadpanned, slapping her knee. "That gives you the right to be two seconds away from becoming yet another statistic in the country." He snickered; she shook her head. "And we're talking about you right now. Why is Lana here? Did you finally grow a pair and ask her out?"

"I will have you know that my pair has always been here," he said. And when his eyes twinkled, she knew it wouldn't be anything good. "And Lana can attest to it."

"Oh, gross!" she complained, cupping her palms over her ears and grimacing.

He guffawed, boisterous and…happy. Lex had always been a delightful person, never not with a smile on his face and mischief in his gaze, but Lena swore that this was a new level of happy – in love and carefree. She was starting to like this Lana person already. "Hey, you asked," he said between snickers.

"I asked if you made a move," she reiterated, glowering at him. She wondered there was bleach for brains. Maybe she could invent one. Perhaps many siblings in the whole wide world would thank her for it.

His laughter died down and the car slowed down at a red light. Yeah, that didn't mean she would let go of the handle. She didn't want to risk it. He loosened his fingers around the steering wheel and his smile transformed from humor to pleased, enlightened. And, well, as much as she wanted to hate Lana Lang, the fact that she managed to elicit this kind of look on her brother was something else.

To her chagrin, she was already giving points to a woman she hadn't even met yet.

" _She_ made a move," he said, glancing at her. She raised her brows in surprise, to which he nodded in agreement. "We had dinner and were taking a walk. And then she kissed me. Said I was too much of a slowpoke and she wasn't that patient anymore."

Lena laughed. "Good on her," she commented. "So…what? Are you guys together now?"

"I –" He rubbed his hand over his bald head and then slapped his palm back down on the wheel. "We're taking things slow." She narrowed her eyes, just about to rebuke him for being a pansy, when he held up a hand in a defensive gesture. "I just don't want to mess things up, okay? She's just…something else – I don't ever want to mess things up and lose her. And my tendency to get overexcited about stuff is not going to help. So, for now, we're taking things slow, doing it her pace."

She sighed, nodding. "You really like her, don't you?"

He blinked and inhaled deeply with a nervous laugh as he switched gears and pushed the car forward when the light turned green. "I think I love her," he whispered.

"Oh?"

"I've never felt anything like this before."

"Yeah?"

He threw her an exasperated glance. "Yeah."

"Well, let's hope I like her too, then."

Thankfully, there was no swerving or any potential accident inducing movements when he threw his head back and groaned. "I did not think of that," he said quietly, no doubt chastising himself for his carelessness. Her smirk grew when he released another groan. When they finally pulled into the parking lot of her building, he shifted his body to face her, a pleading expression on his face. "Can you _please_ be nice?" To prove his point, two giant hands were steepled together.

She directed her gaze at those hands for a few moments before she shrugged and opened the door to step out. "That depends."

* * *

At first glance, there was no way to deny that Lana Lang was a breathtaking woman, distinctive Asian features and darker complexion, accompanied by a smile that seemed to be well-practiced but didn't seem fake at all. Well, to outsiders, anyway, but Lena had spent almost her entire life perfecting a fake smile, so she could spot one miles away. Not that she blamed Lana anyway, given that she and Lex were still rather early in their relationship and she was already meeting the family.

The woman was waiting in the lobby, her concentration split between her laptop and her phone, when Lena and her brother emerged from the parking lot to meet up with her. Lena and Lex stood at the doors for some extended minutes, her observant while he appreciative. And when they made their way over, Lena had to give the woman more approval points for the way she seemed to be genuinely delighted at Lex's presence.

"Lana," Lex greeted, leaning in for a cavalier kiss before loosely wrapping his arm around her waist and gesturing at Lena, "this is my sister, Lena."

And there was that fake smile. She had to give it to Lana; that smile was impeccable. Perhaps they really could find something to talk about. Reaching out to shake Lana's hand, she offered, "I've heard a lot about you, Lana."

Lana's lip twitched, slowly turning somewhat genuine. "Same here, actually," she said, and they both glanced at Lex, who looked like a deer in headlights.

"It is not my fault that I have two amazing women whom I care about in my life and I want one to know about the other," he piped up, smoothly slipping away from the awkwardness of being called out. Before either woman could say anything, he flourished his arm in the direction of the elevators. "Shall we head up?"

Lena stared at him for a minute, rolled her eyes, and then went ahead.

Behind her, she could hear Lana tell Lex, "You're lucky you're handsome."

* * *

Once they had made their way to her place, she had pretended like she had run out of scotch, when truthfully, she still had ten bottles left in storage.

Because who was she kidding? Lena Luthor would never allow herself to run out of scotch as long as she still lived on this surface. To be honest, when she returned home, she might make a couple of trips here every now and then to commission herself more.

Lex and Lana could see right through her farce – the former offering her a glare while the latter just watching in amusement. Lena did not stand down from her brother's glare, only raising her brow, cocking her hip, and waiting for him to make himself scarce and get out, though she wouldn't mind if he purchased a couple more bottles. The more the better, as the saying went.

When he looked to his girlfriend and she nodded in agreement, he just made a noise of disapproval, pointed a warning finger at his sister, and got out again.

"Let's hope he doesn't crash the car," Lana commented once the door shut closed behind him.

Lena snorted, granting the woman an appreciative look. She made her way towards the bar and looked to Lana inquisitively. "Choice of poison?"

The other woman crossed her arms, smirking. "Scotch," she said dryly.

Mirroring her smirk, Lena easily took out a bottle and poured two glasses. "Wise choice." She got out from behind the bar and handed a glass to Lana.

"I'm actually more of a tequila girl myself, but I would love nothing more than to see your brother almost having a stroke when he comes back," Lana said, drinking from the glass.

They sat at the island, opposite one another, and Lena spent the silence apprising the woman her brother was now dating. Lana Lang was a real piece of work, enough to drive a demon into willingly ridding his own memories in the Underworld just to have a _chance_ with her. Now, Lena had never met anyone who would make her want to do that – Kara didn't count – and she was really curious as to what it was about _this_ woman who had caused easily almost everyone with power in the Underworld wrought with worry.

Her own principles had made her naturally dislike Lana Lang at first glance. She was dragged out here to the mortal realm because of her, so that was already enough cause for abhorrence. But from the stories Lex had told her and the fact that she might never have met Kara had it not been for Lana, Lena was willing to give her a chance. Plus, their interactions so far had done nothing but make Lena dislike her less.

And Lex was right about one thing: she _really_ was beautiful.

"I'm not going to promise that I won't hurt your brother," Lana said after deciding that Lena had had enough time apprising her.

Lena smiled. At least the philanthropist knew why she had sent Lex away. More points. "I don't expect you to," she replied. "I just want you to know that if you do anything that can potentially scar him for a long time, I will rain hell upon you."

"I don't expect any less from the infamous Lena Luthor." Normally, coming from anyone – especially a man – that would have sounded condescending and meant to be insulting. But Lana made it seem like her name was something to be revered. She raised her brow in question, prompting Lana to continue speaking. "I've known about you before I met your brother. And I don't think I've ever stopped admiring you."

"I've only just come out of hiding," Lena said, cocking her head.

"You just have to look in the right places."

"Should I be worried?"

Lana laughed and shook her head. The glass was placed on the island and she leaned her elbows on the surface. "Believe it or not, you've made quite a name for yourself at MIT. Plus, anonymity is not much of a thing when you're Lex Luthor's sister. The public just didn't pay attention because you haven't done anything back then."

Lena opened her mouth as a display of understanding, sighing. "Plus the fact that I am a woman kept the press off my back."

The other woman inclined her head with a distasteful grimace. "That, too."

"So how did you, a philanthropist who doesn't know a lick about engineering, know to know about me?"

"I pay attention to strong women in public, obscure or not. Meryl Streep, Malala, Emma Watson, Lena Luthor," she easily listed out, jutting one finger as she went. "And hey, if meeting you means I get to date your brother, that's a bonus."

She couldn't help herself but burst out laughing. "You know what, you're good."

Lana's smile this time wasn't the least bit fake. She lifted her glass and waited for Lena to meet her in the air. They clinked and drank, and then Lana's smile turned conspiratorial. "Now, tell me stupid stuff about Lex."

* * *

 _Kara (8:53 a.m.)_ : _So I have a proposition for you._

Lena was in the middle of a meeting. Imagine that, she hadn't even had her second cup of coffee and her board of directors had already dragged her into the meeting. Thankfully, before she sat down, she had signaled Jess to bring her more coffee, so now she was on her fourth. And judging by the way these men were going on, she needed at least ten.

Surreptitiously, she hummed in pretend appreciation while unlocking her phone to reply to Kara. It was better than listening to them and wondering why the fuck Kara's father would want to create these creatures in the first place.

 _Lena (8:59 a.m.): Sounds sexual._

 _Kara (9:03 a.m.): Lena!_

She inhaled her chuckle before the men in the room could be alerted to the lack of attention she was directing them.

 _Lena (9:03 a.m.): What is it?_

 _Kara (9:04 a.m.): Are you free to talk?_

 _Lena (9:06 a.m.): I'm actually in the middle of a meeting_

 _Kara (9:06 a.m.): Lena Luthor, pay attention!_

 _Lena (9:07 a.m.): You wouldn't say this if you were here.  
Lena (9:07 a.m.): I'll call you when I'm done?_

 _Kara (9:09 a.m.): Alright, talk later!_

Throughout the following two hours, she tried her damnedest to not glare at the flimsy Donald Trump lookalikes filling up the conference room. And well, they were lucky that they were not important enough for her to summon the monster inside her and eat them up alive, because they were not worthy.

Finally, when she finally had had enough, she summarized what each and every one of them had brought up and argued about, taking mild pleasure in watching their jaws drop at how she had actually listened to them despite the apparent boredom she had been exuding. And then she made sure to send them off with reassurances that she would think them over and make her decision before the next meeting.

Watching these people leave the conference room one by one had to be one of the most satisfying things in her mortal life.

"What time is it, Jess?" she asked, leaning back against her chair and closing her eyes for a brief moment of respite.

Jess, appearing from behind her and not really hiding the dinosaur caricature she had drawn on her iPad – probably from the last god-knew-how-many hours – replied, "Almost noon, Miss Luthor."

Surprise wasn't even in the books for her anymore. Resigned was what she was. Maybe she should have reconsidered this CEO and moving out to National City thing before she had approached her brother. She wondered if she could still take back that decision and get Lex to find someone else to fill in her position. She'd much rather spend her days in the lab.

"Go get some lunch, Jess," she sighed, her eyes still closed.

"Miss Luthor?"

She smiled slightly. "Don't worry. Lex is dropping by in an hour," she reassured.

Satisfied, her executive assistant bade her goodbye and left the room as well, leaving Lena alone with her phone and the birds outside and the noise of the air conditioner humming above. In the distance, there was an ambulance siren and the mean part in her wondered who died.

She honed in on the auras, picking up the mild energies that differed from humans scattered across the city, and laughed silently at the immortals for their curiosity and perhaps regret. The mortal realm was not as fun as Zeus liked to put it, and it certainly was not for every immortal. Kara was just one of the few who could fit in, and Lena had to force herself, while Lex didn't even remember that he wasn't one of them.

Once she felt that her eyes had rested enough, she picked up her phone from the table and dialed the intended number.

"Hey!"

The smile that stretched across her face seemed to be a natural reaction to the stimulus that was Kara Danvers now. She spun her chair slightly to face the wall-to-ceiling windows. "Hello, Kara," she greeted.

"That was a long meeting," Kara observed.

"CEOs have to suffer too," she quipped.

Kara laughed, and even through the crackle of the connection, Lena still allowed the warmth to spread through her nerves and rid her of the impatience that had gathered up in her bones.

"So what is your proposition?" she prompted. A bird had flown past the window. Having caught a glimpse of its pure whiteness, there was a moment where she wished that she could be as pure. She adjusted her gaze to the CatCo building, also the tallest building in the city. Not that surprising and well deserved, Cat Grant, while human, would have made a formidable Olympian – even demon.

Kara was quiet for a long while, which only served to mildly dissipate Lena's delight into wariness. "Up for a trip to Paris?" Kara finally offered in question.

Her heart stuttered. " _Paris_?"

Kara hummed in affirmation. "You know, City of Love, City of Lights, _Paname_ , _Pantruche_ …"

"I know where Paris is, Kara."

"Oh, good, I figured since you're not from this realm…" Kara drifted off. Lena could already picture her standing inside the building she was looking at, probably staring out the window, biting her lip and her free hand on her hip.

"What's in Paris?"

And there was that long pause again. Lena did not like long pauses from Kara. When her friend finally spoke, her voice had taken on a new tone of nervousness and discovery. "Diana Prince."

* * *

Amusement did not find Lena easily. As a matter of fact, before Kara even showed up in her life, she hadn't been amused for quite a while, finding everything quite so boring and dull. After Kara had appeared, Lena quickly found herself smiling and laughing more genuinely, finding humor in the most ridiculous things.

So, of course, right now stuck in a fucking metal tank in the middle of the sky, where she normally would force herself to sleep or do more work, she was laughing at another one of Kara's antics. Only this time, there was the addition of the other Danvers, who had insisted on joining once she'd found out where they were going and who they were meeting.

"Please don't do anything to the plane. It's expensive," she managed to resound above the loud volumes of the two sisters.

Naturally, ignoring her, Kara shoved an elbow into the back of Alex's knee, cackling when the older Danvers howled. "Serves you right," she said triumphantly and grabbed the remote from Alex's loosened fingers.

Lena watched as Alex's eyes flashed as soon as Kara lifted off her and settled on the other end of the couch. And then the redhead leaped off and pushed Kara so hard that the blonde fell over the edge and onto the carpet, sounding a loud thud, which caused Lena to wince. She would have still stopped them, but this was much too fun to watch.

"We are _not_ watching that stupid movie again!" Alex yelled.

Kara recovered herself and jumped back onto the couch, but Alex, having expected her sister's move, easily shoved her back on the carpet with a kick of her foot. If they were merely mortals, Lena was certain that they would be covered in bruises.

" _Crazy, Stupid, Love_ is not _stupid_!" Kara exclaimed from the floor, having given up on brawling with her sister, which, honestly, relieved Lena a little.

It was a _very_ expensive plane.

" _Stupid_ is literally in the title of the movie!" Alex yelled back.

Lena made a note to apologize to the pilot later on for the commotion. She wondered if pilots accepted tips.

Looking down at her watch, she had to laugh, attracting both sisters' attention. She quirked her brow at them, moving from one to the other. "You two spent so much time fighting over the remote that we only have half an hour until we land. So why don't you sit down quietly and leave the poor remote alone?"

The blonde listening to her and sitting in original seat opposite Lena was expected, but Lena had anticipated some form of protest from the other Danvers. Instead, the woman just shrugged and sat down on the opposite side of the aisle. Lena narrowed her eyes, slightly confused.

Alex shrugged. "I just wanted to stop Kara from making me watch Ryan Gosling again."

Her snort and Kara's huff combined made a weird noise in the atmosphere. "It's _Julianne Moore_ ," Kara stubbornly pointed out.

"And I understand," Alex began in a placating tone, as if she was trying to appease a child, "but there are only so many times a woman can watch Julianne Moore before risking getting tired of her face."

"You did not just say that."

"I'd much rather watch Carrie Fisher, to be honest."

Kara paused slightly and then lifted a finger in a motion of relenting. "I should ask Hades where she ended up in," she muttered.

"Elysium," Lena offered. Both sisters looked to her so fast she briefly worried about their neck. One was holding back in her excitement and the other was wary like she couldn't trust Lena yet. "She spun Hades' head so fast that he just sent her to Elysium to shut her up. Persephone told me that Carrie told him he should try out some of the medications she'd had to become a happier person. Said maybe he'd be nicer to the souls sent down there if he tried out Xanax."

"Oh my god, she's amazing," Alex said, staring at Lena like she was newly impressed.

And somehow, the idea that she had impressed Kara's sister brought her comfort.

* * *

"So tell me why you couldn't have just flown here?" Lena asked once they were in the limousine with the partition drawn up to ensure privacy.

"Because I know you're scared of flying and I'm not letting you take the plane alone," Kara replied matter-of-factly.

Lena had to smile. What else could she do, really? There was this woman, an Olympian no less, who had shown time and time again that she truly cared, and for Lena, there weren't many of that. Kara's remark had only served to water her affection and encourage its growth – trouble, really, but again, _what_ could she do?

Alex shot her sister a long look before she addressed Lena, "It's too conspicuous if there are suddenly two flying people in the sky with no solid explanation. Zeus would be livid, and he's angry enough as it is." She shot Lena a knowing look, similar to solidarity, which Lena was thankful for. If there came a day when she had to reveal her true self to Kara, it would be by her own accord.

Despite the tentative footing that their…acquaintanceship had taken up, Lena couldn't help herself. "And what are _you_ doing here?"

The redhead crinkled her nose, shaking her head at Lena with a roll of her eyes. "You think I'm just gonna let my sister run off to Paris with a demon alone?" she easily replied. It sounded humorous, purposefully spoken as if it was meant to be a joke, but Lena knew better than that. Alex still didn't trust her, and she didn't expect any less than that. "Also, I want to see Diana too."

"You close?"

The Danvers sisters spared each other a long look before they turned back to her. "As close as two daughters of Zeus can be," Alex offered, diplomatic and strategically formed.

Lena may never have spent time with Zeus before – from what she'd heard, she wished she never had to – but word of mouth carried a lot of weight. And Zeus' lack of care for his children had never failed in fostering distrust and competition between his children, creating the most violent and aggressive relationships that not even Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine could compete with.

Ever since she had learned about Kara and Alex's relationship, she had wondered if it would be the same had Alex been Zeus' daughter.

"I've been taking a lot of vacations lately," she commented, already bemoaning the remarks that her board of directors would surely make when she returned.

"You deserve it." She lifted her gaze from her hands on her lap to Kara, who was staring at her with concern and adoration. "Hell, _I_ deserve a vacation."

"Oh, don't be a baby. You've been on vacation since you left Olympus," Alex grumbled.

"And then my beloved father gave me this job and look where we are."

"Well, you are an Olympian and you are his daughter."

Kara growled. "Zeus and his fucking thunder cock."

The other two women gaped at her, jaw dropped. Lena could hardly fight the laugh that was bubbling in her chest, while Alex seemed like she wanted to throttle her sister for the language. "Kara!" they both gasped.

"Listen, I learn stuff when I'm here, okay?"

"I'm telling mom."

Kara slapped her sister on her forearm, yelping, "Don't you dare!"

Paris was blanketed in snow, inches of it, though not as thick as what Lena had seen was capable of back in the States. She tucked her coat closer to her body, stuffing her hands in her pockets, as they trudged past the borders and entered the Louvre premise. It wasn't that she needed the coat and the scarf; she had gotten used to the temperature in the Underworld, but she had to keep up appearance.

The Seine was visible, and it mildly reminded her of the River of Lethe. She had promised Lex and Lana that she would be back in two days, and they were free to stay in her penthouse if they felt like staying. But before she left, she made sure to bid her brother a proper goodbye in case he decided to go home before she did. When she had hugged Lana – yes, she hugged Lana – she quietly decided that Lex didn't make a mistake drinking the Lethe waters.

They passed the large glass and metal pyramid and Lena took a moment to admire the craft and efforts it must have taken Pei to construct this masterpiece. Often, she had hoped that the Underworld was in good enough conditions for architecture like this to rise.

She was snapped out of her admiration when her senses rose and detected a familiar aura that she hadn't felt in a long time. The last time she had felt this particular aura, it was near the end of the war. Slowly, her gaze traveled from the top of the pyramid to the entrance, where a woman clad in a red coat stood, tall and regal.

Lena smiled. The woman hadn't lost her grace after so many years of desolation and loss.

Kara squeaked in excitement while Alex snorted, and Lena could see that her blonde companion was hardly containing herself as they made their way towards their welcome party. Once they were close enough, Kara leaped forward and engulfed the demigoddess in an embrace, not letting go in what seemed to be ages. They muttered words into each other's ears, but Lena made a point to not listen in. Once Kara had finally released the woman, it was Alex's turn.

When Alex relieved the woman from her embrace, Lena stepped forward, but they didn't hug, only stared each other with reminiscing smiles.

"Lena," the woman finally greeted.

"Good to see you again, Diana."

* * *

 **hah! bet you didn't see that coming. i've been planning this whole lena knowing diana thing for quite some time, and my original plan to introduce diana was earlier on, probably in chapter 7 or something, but then other things got in the way. i have a terrible knack for as much worldbuilding as possible, so that might be a little confusing for y'all - thank you, though, for staying with me!**

 **more to come!**


	15. in theory, love is supposed to be soft

**i am back! emotions and long talks and another surprise appearance! i think you'll really enjoy it :)**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Kara and Alex were shooting each other surprised glances, both a little wary. As far as they knew, Lena and Diana were supposed to be strangers. Diana had never permanently lived anywhere in the immortal realm; had opted for a life with the mortals. And Lena had been doing everything to keep her identity a secret.

So, safe to say that seeing them greet each other like old friends – at least acquaintances – was nothing short of surprising. It also did nothing but sound the alarms in Kara's head. She wanted to ask, but Alex's hand on her arm kept her back, prompting her to wait and watch. They both kept their careful gazes on the other two women, who seemed to be appraising each other like long lost friends or enemies.

The blonde couldn't quite figure it out yet.

"Remember when I told you we should never speak again?" Lena asked, seemingly comfortable in her zone.

Diana smiled and stuffed her hands into her coat pockets as she nodded. "And I respected your wish," she replied easily, cocking a brow. Seriously, even _Diana_ could do that?

Lena made a pleasant noise. "And I thank you for that."

"I was surprised when my sister here told me about you," Diana said, honest and straightforward as ever. They had never known her to be someone who would twist and turn their way to their goal. That wasn't how Diana Prince worked.

The raven haired woman heaved a short laugh, casting Kara a reassuring glance. "Believe me, so was I. But I wasn't opposed."

"Really?"

She laughed again. "Okay, maybe a little bit." Alright, how well did they know each other? "But I am in trouble. Deeper trouble than I could imagine. Kara is, unfortunately, entangled in it for some reasons I have yet to fathom. I thought I can do it alone, but I thought wrong. I need all the help I can get."

"What is it?"

Lena's smile faded. "My mother."

Diana's smile disappeared as well and she straightened her relaxed posture. They shared a long look, like they were having their own little conversation without words. Kara didn't like it. And then Diana nodded, maneuvering aside and gestured an arm towards the entrance of the pyramid.

"Let's talk inside."

The Louvre Pyramid looked majestic and ancient on the outside. One look at it and it felt like one would never be able to absorb all of its history. And yet inside, everything was modern and technologically advanced. Security checks, metal detectors, security cameras installed in almost every corner, alarms set up for each artwork, you name it, they probably have it.

While they were being led by Diana at the forefront, Kara caught up to Lena, pulling her back a little. Alex walked on Lena's other side, eager to listen in as well. "So how did you say you know her again?" Kara whispered in askance, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.

Lena snorted quietly, shaking her head. "I never told you how I know Diana, Kara," she whispered in reply.

Kara widened her eyes to make her point. " _Exactly_."

"It's a long story, dear sister," Diana announced before Lena could say a word. They stopped at a flight of staircase leading downstairs, and Diana turned slightly to throw Kara a knowing smile. "You are still as conspicuous as ever," she observed, and then walked down the staircase.

"I am not!" Kara gasped.

Lena and Alex hummed in unison. "Yes, you are," they chorused.

Down the hallway, security guards lined both sides ten feet apart, vigilant and careful. Honestly, she was kind of impressed. She waited until Diana stopped at a nondescript door, swiped an access card on the reader, and gestured for them to enter with her.

"Explain how I managed to hide myself from the humans then," she burst out once Diana had closed the door behind them.

This time, it was Diana who snorted. "It's not that difficult. They are rather dull." She motioned towards a set of round table and chairs sat on the left of the room, surrounded by artifacts and scrolls. "Let's discuss." She sat down on one of the chairs, mirrored by the rest of them. "Your mother," Diana directed at Lena. "Have we not rid of her all those years ago?"

Lena shook her head, sighing. "Apparently not."

"We?" Alex pointed out, to whom Kara directed a thankful look.

"Long story," Diana reiterated her previous sentiment and then said to Lena, "What is it this time?"

"This time?" Alex pointed out again.

Lena sighed in mild irritation, looking at Alex with a pointed stare. "I would really appreciate it if you stop interrupting us."

"Well, I wouldn't interrupt if you had told us the whole story!" the redhead snapped. "We took a long flight here. We can hear a long story."

The two women who they thought didn't know each other but did gave them a long look, and then Diana directed a questioning gaze at Lena. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be the one to tell the story. Kara followed her half-sister's eyes and landed on Lena.

Honestly, she didn't quite know what she should feel right now. Sure, Lena was entitled to her own privacy and there wasn't any indication that she had told her everything. But Kara would have thought they were at a certain stage in their friendship for Lena to at least feel like she could tell her about _this_. If not for the sake of their friendship, then for the fact that Diana was literally her sister and she was the one who asked for the Amazon's help.

If it wasn't for her, they wouldn't even be here right now.

Lena and Diana seemed to be having their own private conversation again, and Kara unreasonably hated it. She wanted to have this kind of connection with Lena, to be able to carry conversations without much verbal exchange – or any, in this case. And because of this, she couldn't help but wonder exactly _how_ close they were.

"I'm not comfortable telling you yet," Lena finally said, deliberately avoiding Kara's eyes. Before Kara and Alex could even say anything, she said to Diana, "It's worse than last time. My mother has involved the Fates."

The Amazon blinked. She looked away from Lena and drifted towards the shelves that housed a number of statues and artifacts that were waiting to be restored. When she found the thing she was looking for, a dainty finger was lifted to point at it. "You mean those sisters?" The finger was pointed at an off-white marble statue that was seated in one of the compartments, wrapped up in plastic and apparently needed a lot of attention to have it restored.

Lena squinted at it and then hummed. "I'm pretty sure they're more hideous than that," she remarked.

And Diana _snorted_. For as long as Kara had known her, Diana Prince was a classy, stately, and self-aware woman – something she had learned during her years pretending to be a Prince, instead of claiming her identity as an Amazonian princess.

"I have never met them."

"Neither have I, but I've studied scrolls."

"We all know that scrolls are not entirely accurate."

"The paintings were _all_ hideous."

Diana hummed, putting a finger to her chin as she pondered Lena's observation. "I suppose you have a point." The amusement lingered in the air a while longer before Diana went serious again. "What does Kara have to do with it?"

"Our uncle thinks that it's no coincidence that Lena and I will meet the second she's sent here, especially when I'm always visiting the Underworld. I could have met her there a long time ago," Kara finally voiced out, trying to keep her voice steady and dull even though there was a myriad of confusion happening inside her head right now.

"And Lillian's accomplice pretty much confirmed it when I confronted him," Lena offered.

"Accomplice?"

"Mon-El?"

Diana rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath. "And have we not rid of _him_ all those years ago?" she said, this time in true frustration. She knew _Mon-El_ as well? Okay, Kara really wanted to bolt out the doors for some air.

"I actually would have killed him already if it's not for his family's influence," Lena inputted.

The Amazon groaned and then waved her hand in the air. "Tell me the whole story, and leave nothing out."

* * *

With all the riches she had gathered and the long years she had lived, Diana had become pretty upscale and well-to-do. Her money could probably afford her a few yachts, a few jets, and a few huge houses. So Kara was rather surprised when Diana led them to an apartment building and proclaimed one of the units as her home.

Non-descript, not obvious, just a plain old apartment in the middle of Paris, like she was just a middle-class woman earning a keep at the Louvre. Inside, instead of posh furniture and high technology often seen in the homes of the rich, there was a kitchen with a sink stacked with bowls and plates and trash can filled with takeout boxes, and a living room with a flat screen TV and a coffee table where magazines and newspaper strewn across and a well-worn couch.

The three visitors were similarly surprised, but the thing they were surprised the most by was not the simple décor or the dog that bounded up to them with joy as soon as they came in. Oh no, it was something else that they never thought they'd see or hear.

"I'm home," Diana announced, and Kara presumed she was talking to the dog. Except Diana wasn't looking at the dog, she was looking towards the direction of a hallway, as if expecting someone else.

Kara thought Diana was still hung up over Steve.

Only maybe she wasn't, because the man walked right out the hallway in a simple T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, carrying a welcoming smile and curiosity in his eyes. Yeah, Kara could relate. She took a look at her other two companions, and they were similarly confused as well.

"I made dinner for two," the man said. Kara was giving her half-sister and the man the benefit of the doubt. He could have been a doppelganger, for all she knew.

Diana raised a brow. "You were supposed to do the dishes," she said with a smirk.

He mirrored her smirk. "Which is why I made dinner." Diana huffed, shaking her head but not without fondly rolling her eyes, and moved towards him to properly kiss him. If Kara's eyes could pop out, they would. "So, plan to introduce these new people to me?"

The Amazon sighed. When she turned back to her new companions, she looked as if this was the last thing she wanted, but she had no choice. They were here and he was here, and they seemed to all be in the dark except for her. "This is Kara, my half-sister." She gestured at Kara, and then went down the row. "And that's Lena. And Alex."

His eyes widened slightly and he gingerly lifted a hand to greet them. "Hi."

Kara flimsily waved back, Lena smiled, and Alex just squinted. Diana heaved a sigh again. "Everyone, this is Steve." After a long while, she added, "Trevor."

With that, Kara bolted forward and grabbed her half-sister by the arm, not even caring that Steve looked wary and Alex and Lena shouted her name, and then they went out to the balcony, sliding the door close to keep a decorum of privacy. Though given that they were all immortals except one, there kind of wasn't a point.

Still, "What did you do?" she growled, surprising even herself. She didn't growl; she tried to keep her temper mellow and let things slide past her. The only time she growled was when she was really pissed off. And hell, she was _really_ pissed off. "How is he here? Why didn't you tell me about him? _How_ is he _here_?"

Calm as always, Diana responded, "I did what Orpheus couldn't do." Kara's eyes widened. "I didn't tell you because I was still helping to get him acclimated to the world then. Besides, it is not my obligation to tell you." The woman looked closely at Kara, pinning her down with her dark brown gaze. It would seem normal from other people, but for someone who had known Diana for so long, Kara knew the Amazon was perhaps the most perceptive person she knew. "This is not about Steve though, is it?"

Damn it.

"Lena is a good person."

"I know that." The blonde curled her fingers inwards to form fists by her sides. "She's the best."

Diana hummed in approval, a teasing smile curling her lips. "I suppose something good has come out of this, hasn't it?"

The Goddess of Cherish chanced a glance into the apartment and saw Lena and Alex conversing with Steve, still wary but at least they were trying to be friendly. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he pulled out pans from the cabinets and ingredients from the refrigerator. As if it was a natural reaction, she had to smile when Lena shared a wary stare with her sister before joining Steve.

There was no point denying it, to be honest. Alex could see it. Even Diana could see it. Lena had presented a hole, and Kara had willingly jumped into it before she even knew it. There was still a long way before she hit rock bottom, but now looking at Lena, still so strong and calm even after everything that had occurred, it wasn't even a choice for her to climb out.

She wouldn't want to.

"It put her into danger. I wouldn't want to meet her at all if that's the consequence," Kara finally said the one thing she had been keeping inside she learned the truth. When Diana began to look disapproving, she clenched her jaw. "She's been through way too much."

"So have you, Kara."

A scoff. "Honestly, Diana, I was too privileged and I didn't like it."

"Do not take me for a fool." Kara balked. "I've stayed on the mountain for quite some time. I understand how utterly ignorant our shared father can be. I have witnessed the animosity that linger between our siblings and cousins. It is tough. And you have been through a lot while you were there as well." No need to mention Ares, because they both already knew about it. "It will do you no good to compare your plights."

"I just –"

"When I approached our uncle in the Underworld," Diana cut in, "he surprised me with his kindness. He told me that he understands what it feels like to lose a beloved, because he experiences it for two seasons every year. He could not deny me the need to bring Steve back, but there are also rules. As long as I adhered to them, Steve would be back to my side."

"I'm not in love with Lena," Kara defended.

"No, but you are close."

The blonde sighed, pulling on the tail of her ponytail. "How did you know her anyway?"

Diana smirked. "It's not that easy." Kara groaned, throwing her head back. "Plus, not my story to tell."

Understanding that, Kara ploughed on, "How long has he been here?"

"I brought him back after Doomsday. Watching Lois lose Clark, it was painful. Reminded me that I might still have a chance. So I went and tried and succeeded."

"He's been well?"

And then the smile that stretched across Diana's lips was nothing close to her previous ones – not friendly, not faked, not teasing. It was adoring, genuinely happy. This was the first time Kara had seen such a smile from her half-sister. "He's the best."

And yeah, Kara got it.

* * *

Lena had claimed exhaustion around ten and announced one of the guest bedrooms as her own, forcing Kara to room with Alex. A while later, they had all bade each other goodnight and went to bed. Alex conked out in ten minutes after she flopped down on the queen bed.

Kara, though, had turned and rolled and flipped for an hour, staring into the darkness and listening to the creaks of an old apartment building. She just couldn't sleep. Her eyes were wide and aware. The wheels in her brain wouldn't stop turning. So she slipped out and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and went out to the balcony to sit down on one of the chairs that had been put there.

There was an ashtray sitting on the brick below the railing, two cigarette butts abandoned there. Steve was a smoker, she guessed.

The beer pleasantly surprised her. French beer was something else.

She stared out at the city. The dim Eiffel Tower stood in the distance and the streets were growing quieter by the minute as everyone turned back for home. Diana picked a good place to call home. But really, she couldn't quite pay attention to it.

She had thought that she would have a chance to talk to Lena just now, but the woman had seemed to be avoiding the conversation, just kissing her and Diana on their cheeks before she retreated into her guest bedroom. And Kara respected her decision. She could be patient, even though she was an impatient person. She had to be.

If her short acquaintance with Lena had taught her anything, it was that Lena was the best secret keeper ever. Kind of came with the life she had. And when she didn't want to talk, she would never talk, not even leaking a few hints here and there. The only way to get Lena to talk was to wait for her to be ready.

And Kara didn't know how long that would be. But she had an eternity ahead of her, so did Lena. She could wait. She waited this long for Lena to show up in her life, after all.

Half an hour later, the clock chimed midnight, and she had already downed the bottle of beer. It was easy to get up and grab another one, but the chair was comfortable and her head wasn't anywhere close to desiring a second bottle. She just sat there and pondered all the new things she had learned in less than a day.

Everything in her was exhausted.

Someone else stepped out onto the balcony. It was Steve, holding two bottles of the same beer she had just drunk. When he handed one to her quietly, she accepted and popped it open, taking a deep gulp. Maybe she did need a second bottle. He settled down on the chair next to her and popped his own open. It was quiet between them for a long while, allowing themselves to seep in the aging Paris atmosphere.

"So did your mother make you out of clay as well?" he asked.

She frowned for a moment, not understanding. And then she remembered the story Diana had told her. Chuckling, she shook her head. "The traditional way, I'm afraid."

He nodded. "Good to know."

She narrowed her eyes into the distance. "You do know that Diana was born the traditional way too, right?"

He nodded again. "I just can't believe she actually believed the clay story for so long."

"Come on. She was a child."

"Twelve volumes of Clio."

After some consideration, she acquiesced. "She's not that naïve anymore. Far more mature than me, actually."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

Silence shrouded them again. No one – immortal or human – could ever remain that naïve for the rest of their life. The world was just too cruel to allow that. And everyone had different ways to cope with it – either by persevering through it or permitting the pressure to turn the switch from good to bad.

They were all lucky that Diana and Lena had chosen the former. The both of them had good excuses to just give up and lean into temptation, Lena all the more. Being born in the Underworld didn't necessarily mean evil, but it was easy to become it. And Lena was born into unforgiving circumstances – her mother died on her, her stepmother hated her, her identity had to be kept secret in fear of Kara's father's wrath.

If Lena had chosen to wield her genius and whatever powers she possessed, she could have easily overtaken the entire immortal realm with just a flick of her fingers. A sick sense of pride entered Kara's conscience at the thought.

"Why are you out here?" Steve asked again.

"Why are you?"

Steve sighed, his gaze wandering the skyline of Paris in the night. "The last time I was in Paris, the war was tearing the people apart. Killing them, taking a husband away from his family, driving the poor poorer and the rich richer. Beer sucked. I spent more time running from my father than admiring the view – not that there was much." He paused, a new admiring glint in his eyes. "Now, they're cooking dinner at home. Enjoying good beer at nice pubs. Watching inaccurate TV shows on flat screen TVs." Tilting his head, he threw her a sheepish look. "It's been a year, and I'm still having a hard time reconciling it."

She wanted to ask. How it was down there, where he ended up in, what was it like to fight a war that couldn't as easily explained away with the faults of a god as a human, how he knew Diana was the one for him – she didn't. They didn't know each other well enough for those questions, and she was sure he would like to avoid those questions.

Pondering his words, blue eyes behind glasses absorbed this night air of Paris with a refreshed perception. They pretty much fought the same war more than a century ago, only from different angles, but still on the same side. She had seen more than her fair share of the horrors that had dig into the earths of these people, partly because of her brother and partly because of his breed.

There was no telling whose fault it really was. But she knew that Ares' death had done its part in curing the world a little, as painful as it had felt when she learned the news.

"I don't mean to pry," Steve said, "but I thought you and Lena are together." She tensed up. "Just an observation," he added.

"It's complicated," she responded.

He snorted. "Isn't it always?" She turned to him. He shrugged and drank more of his beer. "I was a spy in World War I when I met Diana. She was…effervescent. Beautiful in every way. And I never thought I'd ever fall in love. At best, we'd win the war and I'll go back to my mother. Farm and have a dog. At worst, I'd die, which I did I guess, but I'd die alone. And then she came in and my whole life was just turned upside down. For the first time, I thought about waking up to her, making breakfast for her, teaching her about the ways of this side of the world like she taught me about kindness and optimism in the middle of a war that didn't seem to be going anywhere. And I wanted to stay alive for that. I wanted all of that. But then I blew up a plane, ended up in Asphodel, and left her alone for a hundred years. Came back and found out there was a second world war, a Cold War, and more wars." He shifted in his seat to sit straighter and look at her. "The world's always complicated. You shouldn't waste any more time when you don't know how much you have left. I mean, I know that you're kind of immortal or something. It's all still very confusing." He made a face, which she smiled at. "If you have a chance to wake up and have breakfast and read the newspaper with the one you love, don't let it go, is what I'm saying."

"Breakfast?"

He looked so serious when he nodded and said, "Champion of meals."

She sighed, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "She just keeps so many secrets. I don't blame her. But I don't think…that we can go that way until she and I can trust each other completely."

"I don't necessarily see that as being secretive as being protective of oneself. I mean, there are still some things I haven't told Diana and the other way around. It's not that we don't trust each other. It's just that we don't see a point in telling each other about that stuff until it comes up. Maybe it's too painful. Maybe it's insignificant to us. You can't tell everybody everything, and that's just the way it is." He shifted again, seemingly getting more uncomfortable at the direction the conversation's going in. Diana had told her that Steve wasn't much for sentimental talks. "I don't know much about you guys, but I think even the blindest of men can see that there's something. And in this world, something – no matter how small or big – is better than nothing."

Her gaze drifted down to the ashtray. "Like breakfasts with Diana," she observed.

He hummed in appreciation. "Exactly like breakfasts with Diana. Best time of my days now."

She smirked. "You know you're basically just a sugar baby now, right?"

Confusion passed his eyes for a second as he narrowed them. "If that means I'm living off of her, then yeah. And I'm enjoying the hell out of it." He threw in a wink and a mischievous smile. "The love of my life is successful and making enough living for more than just the two of us. No reason for me to not sit back and relax. And hey, at least I cook."

"You don't do the dishes."

"I did the dishes just now!" he exclaimed. She sputtered a laugh, shaking her head. "Then again, I don't know you well enough to really pass you any real advice. Just telling you as I see it." He extended his bottle in her direction, and she knocked hers against it. They downed the rest of their respective bottles. He stood up and took her bottle from her. "Think about it though." She nodded when he gave her a pointed look.

As he retreated back into the apartment, she called out, "Take care of her."

He chuckled, his voice drifting off as he walked further away. "Oh, I'm not letting her go again."

And yeah, maybe she shouldn't give herself a chance to be able to let Lena go as well.

* * *

"Take a walk with me?"

Diana had gone off to work, telling them to enjoy the day and that they would regroup to discuss their plans when she got back. Kara had only gotten four hours of sleep when she woke up to see Steve making scrambled eggs in the kitchen and Diana reading the newspaper at the dining table. A true domestic scene – something she didn't think Diana would ever experience with the man in question, but knew she deserved, especially after her conversation with Steve last night.

Her sister and Lena eventually joined her, and they watched as the couple bicker lovingly, not missing any chances to touch each other. When they kissed long and sweet before Diana left, Alex made gagging noises in the living room as she absentmindedly chewed on an apple. Kara smacked her on the arm and told them to not mind her and keep doing what they were doing.

It was Lena's turn to read the newspaper when Kara approached her, her hands in her pockets and her body bundled up in winter clothing. Lena had stared at her for a moment before she nodded with a smile, getting dressed for the winter as well. They left before Alex could ask the join them, both knowing that this was just _their_ walk.

"We didn't talk much yesterday," Kara mentioned, wiggling her fingers at a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. She wished Winn wasn't spoiling Bench too much with scraps off the table.

Lena winced. "Yeah."

"I have to admit I'm curious about everything – how you know Diana, how close you are, the sorts. I was also kind of mad, to be honest, because I thought we were past that now."

"Kara," Lena sighed. They stopped at a crossroad and waited for the pedestrian light to go green. "It's not like that."

The blonde nodded, tugging on her knit cap. "Yeah, I know. But I was…jealous," she confessed, getting a surprised look from Lena, and shrugged sheepishly. The light turned green and hundreds of feet pattered across the zebra walk, including theirs.

"Kara, you know we can't…" Lena drifted off.

"I had a talk with Steve last night. We couldn't sleep and we sat on the balcony and talked. He talked about how the world may have gotten better but not that much. Wars are still happening, only quieter. He said having breakfast with Diana every morning is the best part of his day. Talked about how chances are small, how having something is better than nothing." She stopped in her steps and so did Lena. "And there's something between us, Lena, and I don't want to let that go." She smacked her lips and watched as the puff of air escape her lips. "And I'm not going to force you; you've been through enough of that and you don't need it from me. I'm not going to make you tell me everything; you will when you think the time is right, or you don't have to if you don't want to at all. I'm fine with that too."

The woman before her was frowning, conflicted, hinging between acting on something and not. And Kara got that, because right now, she was looking at Lena, appreciating the beauty that had smacked her in the face the first time she saw her, and she wanted to kiss her but knew she should not. She put a hand on Lena's forearm and gently led her to a phone booth, leaning back against it.

"But I just want you to know that I'll wait." She smiled, not sad or longing, but a real optimistic one. "We have an eternity ahead of us, and I'll wait for as long as you want me to. Just know that I'll be right here and I'm not going anywhere." She tucked her hands deeper into her coat pockets. "And whatever it is that happens, we'll get through it, as friends or more. Because I don't care what decision you make, I'm not letting you out of my life. I don't care about the rules. I don't care that I'm a goddess and you're…whatever you are. I don't care about the Fates or my father or your mother. I don't care. I'm going to be right here, and you just know that you can come to me anytime."

The sun was rising higher up in the sky. Almost like Apollo was watching over them. Maybe he was. Maybe her uncle was looking at them right now and he was liking this. She was never close to him, but she knew that he was always one for love. Hopefully, he also wasn't a snitch.

"Every time I see you, I want to kiss you," Lena admitted, smiling as well. Kara couldn't help the flutter in her stomach at her admission. "I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one. But right now, there's just too much going on, and I need to get into the right headspace to even start…trying on us."

Kara pushed away from the phone booth and stepped closer to Lena. "I understand."

"But you'll wait." Uncertainty painted Lena's voice. Kara couldn't blame her. She had been through too much of uncertainty to ever be able to be certain about anything; Kara wanted her to know that _she_ would be the one certainty among many uncertainties.

"As long as it takes."

"Thank you, Kara."

And then, surprising her again, Lena leaned forward to wrap her arms around Kara. Through the layers of their jackets and coats, Kara knew that she had stamped something onto the two of them together, and she vowed that she would never let anyone take that stamp away.

* * *

 **steve! the one good man i love, the most worthy chris among all chrises. i just couldn't not bring him back, okay. and hey! kara and lena are taking a step forward! cheers! (no, but i swear the kiss is coming. it's coming. just not yet)**


	16. an impossible person to love

**some backstory on how lena and diana met and a hint at something between them ;) kara being a hopeless fool in love and lena being a fool in general even though she's incredibly smart. i think you're gonna like this one.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

 _All her life, Hades had been a pillar of strength, never faltered from intimidation or show of power, and did not once stoop down to using his own position to threaten or harm others. A role model, a caretaker, a protector, and a father. Never once had she doubted that he could rule the entire world if he wanted to, mortal or immortal._

 _And now, he and Persephone had succumbed to a healing slumber because of Ares' actions._

 _Lena didn't know Ares, but she had spent enough time – too much, in fact – in the library to know who he was. God of War, symbolism of violence, untamed and wild, and he did this to the two people who were the closest people she had to parents. So screw God of War, screw symbolism of violence, she wasn't going to let him win._

 _Of course, in spite of her ire and desire for vengeance, there were still smarts left in her to understand that she couldn't just go out there and reveal herself to everyone. If Ares was to be defeated, they would surely come after her next. So she disguised herself as a mere demon, a powerful one at that, and only used her true strength and form when she was sure no one could see her transformation._

 _Except for one person, because she got careless. Exhaustion had finally set in when the last one of the army was taken down, and since no one else seemed to be around, she transformed back and leaned back against a huge rock, hissing at the burn that the wound on her back had inflicted. She would turn, find a more comfortable position, but she wasn't sure if there was any energy left._

 _It was only when she opened her eyes that she noticed a figure standing off in the distance, not too far away, but close enough for her to see who it was. And then she cursed, looking away and sighing at her own stupidity._

" _I had assumed your kind is extinct," Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, said, approaching her until she was near enough for Lena to actually see her face up close._

 _Lena opened her eyes slightly, her sight had gone blurry. Wouldn't be long before consciousness escaped her. Maybe this was her time. "I'll be the second last," she reassured the Amazon. "They're not wrong about you."_

 _The princess tilted her head and then sat down next to her, relaxed and unflinching, as if the fact that she had seen what Lena truly was and was capable of wasn't scary. Well, how would she know to scurry off anyway? She spent a long time thinking she was made out of clay._

" _Who is not wrong about me?"_

" _A lot of people. Too many to count." Respiration went harsher – her chest was clenching involuntarily. The burn on her back was no longer there, that couldn't be good._

" _What is not wrong about me?"_

 _Lena turned her head slightly and examined Diana in her blurry vision. "You are beautiful," she observed. "That's what they said." She gulped and took a labored breath. "They're not wrong."_

 _The other woman chuckled. Lena noticed that there were wounds on her too, but apparently they didn't take too much of a toll on her. "Is that what your kind do?"_

" _What?"_

" _Coquet when you are wounded."_

 _The scoff was difficult, but she had to do it. "No one uses that word anymore. And no, just figured I could flirt my way out of this."_

" _And what is this?"_

 _There was no more strength left in her to speak. Too much focus had to be diverted to her lungs, her heart, and her consciousness, but she knew there was no way to hold on any longer. So she just accepted her fate, took one long and laboring breath, and promptly passed out, allowing herself to be at the whims of the daughter of Zeus._

* * *

Years ago, when Ares had already been dead but his influences still lingered thus no concession on the war, Diana Prince had saved her life, healed her to good health, and made a friend out of the one person in the Underworld no one could make friends with. It had surprised her entirely, but not Diana, who just rolled her eyes whenever Lena mentioned it.

When she lost her consciousness, she had assumed that she would wake up chained and ready for torture or not wake up at all. She had even said her silent goodbyes to her brother, Cerberus, and the rulers of the Underworld who were still asleep. But then she had woken up in her own comfortable bed, Diana Prince cleaning her shield by her bedside. It had all been so bizarre that Lena had passed out again for two days.

"You could have handed me over, you know," Lena said again, something she had said every time she and Diana met until they stopped meeting.

Diana huffed next to her. They watched as Steve tried to teach Kara in making chicken parmigiana. Alex was sitting at the island, nursing a beer and smiling in amusement. "Stop saying that," Diana replied.

"Your father would have had a grand time with me."

"Why do you think I didn't hand you over?"

"Because you're stupid."

The Amazon released a reluctant chuckle. "I have missed you."

"We barely know each other."

"We spent months with each other. I know you plenty." Diana then smirked. "In all the ways possible."

Rather than being affronted, Lena just smirked. She turned to Diana and asked teasingly, "Did you tell Steve about that?"

"He said 'good job'." Diana shrugged.

"Don't tell Kara about that."

"Is there something I should know about?" Diana asked, quirking her brows. Her hands had long stopped wiping her precious shield. "Perhaps I should give you the talk. I've always wanted to do that. Alas, none of my siblings are worth the effort, apart from Kara."

"There is nothing you 'should' know about. And there is nothing you 'should' do. It's none of your business."

Diana scowled with no hint animosity. She flopped back against the couch and tugged on her ponytail. "Why do you ruin fun?" Lena only smirked, shaking her head at her friend's unwitting childishness that had ceased to dissipate. They allowed quietness to linger for a bit, Lena thinking about the conversation she had with Kara this morning, and Diana pondering whatever it was troubling her. "I shouldn't have to tell you not to hurt her," Diana reminded.

Because she was realistic, the raven haired woman said, "I think that's unavoidable." Diana shot her a look. "She's an Olympian, and I am me. Something's gotta give."

"Okay," Diana accepted, though not too happily. "Then I shouldn't have to tell you that she is worth it." Lena narrowed her eyes. "Like I said, I know you. And after all this is over with, my father will be the least of your worries."

"After all this is over with, I'm not sure there will be a me to begin with," Lena said in a lower voice, sounding out something she hadn't told anybody. "I'm also not scared of your father – I've seen scarier things. But I've gotta see this through, no matter what. If they want to hurt me, it's fine. Bring it on, really. I've been waiting for it to happen. But I can't accept that they had to bring Kara into the fold. I don't care what kind of evil plans my mother and the sisters have cooked up. I just know that if they intend to harm Kara's life, I will do my very best to thwart those plans."

"That doesn't mean you have to give your life," Diana responded, knowing the direction Lena was going. "There are alternatives."

"My life is the least I can give to end this whole mess."

"Lena."

"I'm lucky to have lived this long. If it's time, it's time."

"You thought it was your time too when we first met. And here we are."

"So that wasn't my time, maybe now is."

Diana sat up straight, casting a cursory glance at the trio in the kitchen to make sure they weren't listening and then pinning Lena down with a determined gaze. "I do not have many friends, Lena. But among the little I have, you are my best, despite the fact that we haven't seen each other for a long time. And I will not lose my best friend because she thinks sacrificing herself is a brilliant idea, which, let me tell you, is the opposite of. You guys asked me to help, and I will give it my all, because you are my friend and Kara is my sister."

"There's only so much you can do."

"Even if I fail in my task, I'm certain Kara will not let you go that easily. I've seen the way she looks at you. And my sister can be as stubborn as you."

Lena frowned. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that."

"As you will."

"Wow, thanks."

* * *

After dinner, they all sat in the living room to finally lay down their plans. And honestly, Lena hadn't the slightest clue what she ought to do. She was seated on the armchair, Kara on the arm even though there was still space on the couch or another empty armchair opposite her, but she didn't mind. She liked having Kara close.

Diana came out of her bedroom with two tomes in hand, fragile and yellowed and like they were going to fall apart at any second. When she put them down on the coffee table and sat down on the empty armchair, Lena examined the front covers and found Greek language embossed in the material. She was familiar with the tomes and she wondered how Diana got her hands on them.

"Did you steal these?" Alex spoke what was in Lena's mind.

The Amazon looked offended at the conjecture. "I _borrowed_ them."

"So you stole them."

"It's not stealing if I plan to put them back where they belong," Diana wisely said.

Lena huffed a disbelieving chuckle, leaning forward to look closer at the tomes. "The Louvre isn't where these things belong either," she offered. Never tired at the idea of more knowledge, admiration shone through her as she checked out the conditions of the tomes and assumed their age. "I have always wondered about Hermes' thoughts regarding the Fates."

Alex seemed to carry a similar curiosity towards the tomes as she braced her arms on her knees as well. She scoffed and sneered, "Humans. Written by Hermes himself and they let these tomes run down like this."

"Yeah, we tend to do that," Steve offered, settling down next to Diana by assuming the same position Kara had. "It's not something I'm proud of."

"Where did you recover these?" Lena asked Diana.

"Archaeologists found them in Egypt on an excavation. Turned it over to us. My superior asked me to translate the language."

Alex cocked her brows. "The idea of you having a superior is hilarious."

"Pretending goes a long way, Alex."

"What are these?" Kara spoke for the first time, befuddled and not following the conversation at all. Lena almost wanted to gasp. Alex did. Diana just sighed and shook her head. Steve mimed an air high five, which Kara returned lamely. "I'm not nerds like you, okay?"

"We appreciate knowledge," Lena refuted.

"Yeah well, I'm pretty sure that's not the point of us being here," Kara said, eyes lit and lips almost smiling. "Now let's get back to business. What are these books? And why are they relevant?"

"First of all, these aren't just books. These are opuses, _history_ , written by Hermes himself about the Fates. Everything he knows about them is all here, and Hermes knows a lot of shit. I don't like him, but that asshole's smart," Alex said, grimacing. "Second of all, they're relevant because _we_ don't know crap about the Fates."

"Okay, so what does he know?"

Lena sent Diana a questioning look as she gestured at the tomes. When Diana nodded in permission, she reached for the first volume and flipped it open, careful not to break the fragile pages and ruin it further than humans already had. The people who previously had ownership over these tomes probably didn't even know their importance. Foolish, humans all were.

Years of devouring all the books in the library had fostered her reading speed and comprehension skills. It took her only ten minutes to reach the third section – what she read was marvelous and refreshing, but also terrifying. Ignoring the four pair of eyes trained on her, she read on, taking in the information provided and hearing her own heart pounding harder behind her chest.

The last time such fear had overtaken her was when Diana found her at the rock. But that was only momentary, this was something else. Upon completion, which took forty minutes, the tome was deposited back on the table. She sat back and stared at Diana, who was returning her gaze with a knowing stare. The second tome sat next to the one she had just read. She wasn't sure if she was ready to pick it up yet.

Sensing the tension coiling Lena's muscles, Kara gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "What?" she inquired.

"I think it really is time," Lena whispered, directed at Diana.

The woman shook her head firmly. "Do not assume. These are just readings. Hermes is also a coward."

"A smart coward."

"Then we will be smart warriors."

Lena moved an inch, restless and anxious. "I've just read what is probably the most accurate literature on the three sisters who even Zeus is afraid of. It's not that easy."

"You haven't read the second tome yet. There is a way. There is always a way."

"Chronos tried and failed."

"Chronos was already weakened at the time."

"That –"

"Hi," Alex interjected, throwing both Lena and Diana a dirty look.

"We would really appreciate it if you remember that there are other people here," Kara continued for her sister, for once looking irritated and…was that jealousy? Lena blinked a couple of times before she stopped herself from smiling. "Now do you mind getting the rest of us _on_ topic?"

"The Fates are highly volatile," Diana offered. "More dangerous than we have thought. Hermes discovered that every birth rooted from our father has been well thought out by the Fates, even myself. Ares waging war and planting insolence among humans? Also the Fates. My role in defeating Ares? The Fates made that happen as well. Nothing happens in this world if not for their orchestration. This evil, this darkness, in the mortal and the immortal realm, they planned it all."

"How does he know these things?" Alex asked.

"He is Hermes. He always finds a way to siphon information. This time, apparently, he transformed into a devastatingly handsome man and turned the Fates into jelly. I didn't want to believe it, but apparently he slept with all of them."

Steve's brows rose to his hairline while Alex looked almost disgusted. Kara just groaned, pretending to throw up.

"For all we know, they could have planned for Lex to meet Lana and come to earth, and then have me meet you," Lena told Kara, deathly afraid. She had never been this afraid in her life. "It's disgusting," she spat in a whisper.

"Well, at least they did one thing right," Kara muttered. The CEO's eyes widened in shock. Kara displayed a gentle smile. "I don't regret meeting you, the Fates or not."

Lena blinked a few times and then looked away. She would melt if she looked at Kara any longer. She steepled her hands together and shook her head in dejection. "I'm probably the smartest person in the Underworld and I do not have any clue on how we can beat this." She lowered her head and rubbed her fingers over her temples harshly, as if the motion would rub out useful ideas.

"That's why we're here," Alex said. She crossed her legs. "Any idea on why they want you and Kara to meet?"

"You'll have to ask my mother about that. As of right now, I am trying not to talk to her unless I absolutely have to."

"I'd say this is a pretty absolute situation," the redhead mused.

"You have no idea the kind of woman she is," Lena snapped, glowering at Kara's sister.

"No, but you do. You know her the best out of all of us. And as of right now, if even you can't think of anything, there's no avoiding confronting your mother anymore." She held up two hands as Lena attempted to refute. "I'm sorry, Lena. I know you and your mother don't have the best relationship. But my sister's life is on the line here. And I don't mean to sound insensitive, but that's more important to me than anything else."

"I can't take any more time off," Lena said, accepting everything that Alex had said. They had one common concern in their lives, and that was Kara, and it was comforting to know that Alex would be on the same page with her as long as Kara was safe.

"From what I've seen, your mother comes here quite often as well. Why don't you just send a message? Get her to come and meet you." Alex then shrugged. "At least this is your turf. You're more familiar here than she is. She'll be out of her element and we can use that to our advantage."

"She has a point," Steve cut in. "It's best to face your enemies in your comfort zone. I would suggest your place but I'm pretty sure you won't want her there." Lena shook her head curtly. Steve shrugged. "So maybe your office, or even your favorite restaurant, park, wherever. As long as you understand the entry and exit points, the curves and slopes, she'll be the one out of her zone. And you won't believe the things that you can do when your opponent is not comfortable. Plus, if you're still worried – I'm not saying that you won't be able to handle yourself, I know that you can do that very well, it's just a precaution – I know a few guys who can take on vantage points. Snipers, pistols, or just a scope."

"You…know a few guys?" Alex said suspiciously.

Steve looked down at his girlfriend, nudging her gently with his arm. "You didn't tell them I work for ARGUS?" he asked teasingly, like he knew full well that she didn't tell them.

"Wait," Kara piped up. "Yesterday, you said that –"

"Oh no, she's still making a hell of a lot more than I do. I just want to have something to do. Sitting at home all day isn't my drift."

Kara looked seriously offended at being duped. Lena was curious as to what they talked about. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she told Lena, gentle and kind. "We'll figure it out."

Lena sighed, shaking her head. "No, your sister's right." She scratched her chin and closed her eyes. "We have to know as much as we can to be able to come up with a solid plan."

"Which doesn't involve it being your time," Diana said.

"Yeah, what is that about? What time?" Alex queried, staring at them both in askance.

"Our friend here," the Amazon nodded her head in Kara's direction, "thinks that sacrificing herself in this operation may be a wise decision."

Okay, Lena wasn't so sure that Diana was being truthful in her claim that she was her best friend now. Kara straightened and almost toppled over to the narrow space in the armchair with her. The hand on her shoulder tightened – she didn't even realize that it had never left. When she looked up, confusion and upset painted the blonde's expressing. So unfair that she could carry that expression so well.

"It's a possibility," she said weakly. Her hands dropped to her lap with a slap. "I've lived longer than I thought I would. And it's obvious my mother does not plan to let me live. If this means my end, beating her and Mon-El and the Fates means my end, then I don't see why not."

Goddess of Cherish leaped to her feet. Lena missed that familiar touch on her shoulder already. "There will be no sacrificing," Kara said firmly, spinning on her feet to lock Lena down with a stern glare. "Do you hear me? No sacrificing."

"You can't –"

"I said you are _not_ dying," Kara gritted. Even when she had found out Lena's identity, she hadn't sounded like this – devastated, desperate, disappointed. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, loud and echoing in the silence that had befallen the room. "I don't care what happens. I will not let you die. You are staying right where you are: _alive_."

"That's not your decision to make," Lena whispered, her heart pumping against the cage that trapped it painfully. "This isn't your war."

Kara strode towards her, lowering her hands on the arms of the armchair that Lena was sitting on and undoubtedly pinning her there. She was so close. "Then I will _make_ it my decision," she whispered harshly. "I will do whatever it takes – _whatever_ it takes – to keep you alive. And you're wrong. This _is_ my war. Not just because your mother and the Fates and that scumbag, Mon-El, decided to throw me into the mess, but also because _you_ are right in the middle of it and I told you I _will_ wait." Lena sucked in a sharp breath as Kara raised her brows like a commander, as if asking for her comprehension. "Do you understand?"

Well, there really wasn't any other option given to her, was there? Plus, Lena wasn't sure she wanted one. She couldn't believe herself, but she was finding this Kara Danvers a real cause of arousal in this very moment. It was so highly inappropriate, but her body was a traitor anyway. So she looked into Kara's heated eyes and nodded slowly.

"Good," Kara breathed, eyes flickering down to Lena's lips briefly before gulping and moving away. Well, good to know that Lena wasn't the only one affected in this situation.

When she spied a glance at Diana, her friend was smiling with one brow raised, clearly telling her an 'I told you so'. Honestly, Lena didn't even know why she even expected any less. Actually, maybe tonight she could drag Diana out and dangle her from the roof just for fun. She deserved it for outing Lena like that.

Whatever happened to confidentiality between best friends? Wasn't that the rule? Clearly, the woman needed more education on how friendship worked – even Lena got the hang of it.

Lena crossed her leg, uncomfortable and desperate to work herself off in the bedroom. But there were still loose ends. The plan might have been formulated, but the path hadn't been fully paved yet.

They were right. She was scared. Completely terrified and shaken to her core. The material of Hermes' personal account on the Fates had already been imprinted in her vast brain, and it was never getting out – that was only the first volume. The second volume sat on the table, calling for her to read it.

"I don't – I can't meet my mother alone," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. Never had Lena ever been one to confess to weakness. Being scared was a sign of weakness, and she hated herself for it – hated her mother for making her feel like this.

Steve understood her implication immediately and proffered a reassuring nod, already fishing for his ARGUS-issued phone in his pocket. "I'll make some calls," he muttered and walked out to the balcony.

Once he had confirmed that he would be there along with more ARGUS agents at the American base, she excused herself and brought the second volume. She couldn't help herself; she had to read it, all the while knowing that she'd probably lose a week's worth of sleep over it. Before she could fully retreat into her room, Kara had approached her again and silently wrapped her up in a long and tight hug.

"Don't be stupid again. It doesn't suit you," Kara said into her ear, burying her nose into Lena's neck.

Closing her eyes from seeing the rest of them, she hugged Kara back and smiled. "No promises."

* * *

 **tell me what you think in the reviews! i really like this chapter. i really enjoy writing diana prince. and worry not, she'll show up more in the following chapters!**


	17. there's no discomfort

**back to national city, back to work, and you know, more plotting. oh, zeus the asshole makes an appearance so...**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

For the first time in what seemed to be eons, the urge to fly came to prominence within the crevices of the younger Danvers' chest – if only for a little while. Trapped in what is practically a tin cylinder, understanding emerged towards Lena's hatred of flying.

Of course, if the plane was to fail, it wouldn't kill them. Perhaps they would be indisposed for awhile, but it wouldn't be fatal. Death wasn't what she was opposed to; the lack of freedom and the idea that she could only wander in the confines of this plane were. She hated the sense of suffocation the plane offered, despite the abundance of oxygen surrounding them. Hated that nothing around them was suitable venting objects. Hated that the trip of Paris hadn't really given them any viable solution. Hated that Lena would be so foolish as to think her own life less than worthy to keep.

Lena, who had fallen asleep on the couch on the other side of the space. Lena, whom she found herself completely and irrevocably enamored with. Lena. Lena. Lena.

Kara watched the woman's chest rise and fall and felt the mild relief in her chest at the assurance that she was still living and breathing. Still, the relief didn't take away the want in her to just bust out of the plane and fly at her own will. Her hands tightened on the arm support of the single seat she was sitting on.

"Penny for your thoughts." Alex's lowered voice penetrated her thoughts – Kara appreciated her sister's carefulness to not wake up the sleeping woman. "I don't think I like it when you're so quiet."

Kara rested her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes. "I'm so angry at her," she whispered, always honest with Alex.

Yesterday had been a whirlwind of everything. Morning: delight and relief. Afternoon: anxious and impatient. Night: angry and disbelieving. The anger had stayed with her even after everyone had retreated to their rooms and she stayed in the balcony to rob Diana more of her French beer. Steve had joined her on her third bottle, but unlike the night before, he did not speak a word.

"Can I ask you something?" Alex bulldozed onwards when Kara opened her eyes. "Why do you care so much about her?" One would have expected Alex to direct that question with contempt and disgust – she'd have to be blind to not see the slight animosity that Alex still carried towards Lena – but it was the opposite. The redhead was genuinely curious and confused.

The question mingled in Kara's head, passing through the wheels and processors, attempting to produce a product that could satisfy it. She had so many answers, yet she had none. In truth, she was at a loss as to how best to word her answer without having to stretch it out for days. Maybe simple would do – Hades had taught her that.

But what was simple? Nothing about Lena Luthor was simple.

"I don't know how to answer that." Alex raised her brows. "She's just – it just is, you know. I met her, I found her beautiful, I got to know her, I found her even more interesting, and then before I even knew it, I couldn't pull myself away from her already." Kara turned towards Lena, who had never seemed so peaceful for as long as Kara knew her. "You might think that she's just a demon, but to me, she's so much more than that. She's just there, and I'm here. And I can't stay away."

"Kara, this is –"

"Dangerous, I know. But…I can't just – I know you don't trust her, and honestly, I haven't known her that long, but I know her and I…I want her. So much, Alex, so much. And I can't – I don't _know_ how to have her, you know. She's so…difficult. Pandora's box can't compare to her. I just know that as long as she's still alive, I can _still_ want her. Do you know what I mean?"

They stared at Lena for a pregnant quiet moment; Lena must have been really tired to be able to sleep through their conversation without so much as stirring. Kara's fingers fidgeted with different desires – she wanted to tuck Lena's head on her lap and let her have some comfortable cushion; she also wanted to fly and get away for a bit.

"She's really powerful," Alex then said. When Kara looked at her, she was surprised at the fear swimming in her sister's eyes. "Like – probably even more powerful than your father."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "I…I unlocked my powers for a moment awhile ago, after I found out you talked to her. I sensed a bit," she said, frowning.

Alex ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "I saw her that day. Like saw her saw her." Kara's eyes widened. "I riled her up a bit too much and I saw the other side of her for a second and I recognized it. And Kara, it's not that I don't trust her, more like scared."

"What'd you see?"

"Something I thought only existed in history." Alex shook her head and waved her hand in Lena's direction. "I can't tell you. It's not mine to tell."

"Alex."

"Look, you care about her, I get that and I'm not going to stop you. She's a good person, I can see that. And obviously, she cares about you too, which is better." Her sister leaned forward to take hold of her hands. "Just be careful, okay? And whatever happens, I will be here for you. Always."

* * *

Never had she ever thought three days in Paris could take so much of a toll on her. Tired couldn't even begin to cover it. Once they had touched down, it was already ten in the evening. And while Kara would love to stay with Lena and talk to her a little bit more, she couldn't deny her body's demands for rest anymore. So they bade their goodbyes and parted ways. And she just collapsed into a heap of bones on her bed once she was back, Alex having taken the guest room.

When consciousness found her again, the clock was already indicating noon. And somehow, in her dreams, she knew there was something she had to do. Snapper and Cat could fire her if they wanted; this served higher importance. So without even performing her daily routine of rolling around in bed for half an hour more in the morning, she got up, sent an email to both Snapper and Cat, and texted Lena about her consequent absence, before she went to wake Alex up.

Her sister was unsurprisingly grumpy, but time was running out.

"We're going home," Kara said as soon as Alex had had her coffee.

The woman only stared at her wide eyed for a moment before she nodded and proceeded to conjure a portal for them. Kara could see that her sister had more questions, but she appreciated the lack of them being sounded out. They walked through the portal and into her old bedroom.

The blonde blinked for a few seconds as she took in the sadly unfamiliar scene sprawled before her. Huge four poster bed made up neatly and draped with silken sheets. Shelves lined up against the south of the room, stacked with books borrowed from and unreturned to the library. Knick knacks purchased from the merchants and gifted by her siblings and friends sat in random positions across the room, marking their presence and age. One single lounge sat out on the balcony, a random blanket thrown over it.

Entire childhood, teenage-hood, and short adulthood had been spent in here. Memories played out in various corners – laughter and tears, games and serious discussions. It had been a long time since her presence was found here.

"Wow," she whispered, nearing the shelves and running fingers over the crumbling spines and yellowed pages.

"Remember when you got that scar on your forehead?"

Kara snorted. "Stupid four poster."

"You were so drunk," Alex said with a laugh.

"It's not my fault they make good mead," Kara protested.

They wandered the room, seeing things and watching memories. The books they had read together and scoffed at. The lounge where they had fallen asleep on a few hundred times because they talked too long into the night and ended up succumbing to exhaustion. The four poster bed where Kara had fallen against because she couldn't stop dancing with Alex. The chess game on which the pieces still stayed at the last game she and Alex had played.

"Knight to E-5."

"You –" Alex stalked over from the lounge to the chess game on top the desk. Her eyes took in the pieces, wandering rapid over possible moves and past moves made. And then she grunted, pushing Kara. "Cheater."

"Excuse me, you can't cheat at chess."

"I'm supposed to be the smart one."

"Lena taught me," Kara offered and then smiled a little melancholically. She missed Lena already.

Alex stared longer at the chess game and then asked, "You're never going to sleep in this room again, are you?" Resignation was apparent, but there was also acceptance. That was something.

The younger one wrapped her arm around the older one's shoulders, shaking her head in resolution. "No, probably not." She did miss this room though. After all, it was the one place she could find peace in this world. But it was too much, to think that she had to wake up and wander out into a palace that she hated.

"Let's go to talk to the man."

* * *

"You can at least provide me the respect of announcing yourself," her father demanded as soon as she and Alex made it to the garden. He was bowed over a plant, carefully trimming it like it was his favorite child. Maybe it was.

"I take sick pleasure in pissing you off," Kara said without remorse. "And I have told you that I do not carry any respect towards you."

Zeus' coal black hair was swiped back and his body was shamelessly draped in just a silky bathrobe. She could imagine that he might have had some conquest waiting for him in one of the bedrooms, or maybe he would be going on the hunt later. For now, he was here trimming plants, as if the Fates didn't scare him shitless.

"To what do I owe the pleasure then, Cherish?" he asked with a mocking smile, a pair of pincers in his hand as he turned around.

He was tall, muscular, didn't look a day more than fifty, but the worst thing about him was his charm. She didn't blame all the women he had bedded for falling into his arms; she just blamed him for his lack of qualms when it came to the things he wanted. A lot of people had told her that family was family and you could never lose love for your family – they were wrong.

"I need it."

Zeus looked at her for a long while, a deadpan expression on his face. The three weren't brothers for nothing. Narrowing his eyes, her father took a step closer to her. "I have been doing all I can since you were _born_ to get you to put it on, and you would not. Even when facing your brother, you would rather wear your run down armor than to wear it. Now, out of nowhere, when you refuse to call this home and refuse to acknowledge me as a daughter should her father, you want it," he spoke, voice low and suspicious.

The blonde clenched her jaw and did not cower away from her father's lightning blue eyes. He gave her those eyes – he could look right back at them and understand what it felt like. One thing she was glad he gave her was his strength, only that his physical strength had translated into both physical and emotional strength for her – he never had the latter.

"It belongs to me. Rightfully mine. There is no need to explain to you," she replied.

" _I_ made it _for_ you," he started seething, the edge of his lips curling back.

"You said it yourself," she pointed out. " _For_ me."

"Cherish."

"For once in your life," she gritted from her teeth, "be an honorable man."

His nostrils flared and it almost looked as if he wanted to stab the pincers in her. And well, in a place where her strength meant nothing, it might actually kill her. But she wasn't one to cower to her father. The things he had done, the behavior he had displayed – none of them were attributing qualities that could get her to be scared of him.

She wouldn't have come if she didn't feel like she absolutely had to. A war was brewing, she knew it. Maybe not a war as devastating as the one Ares' had sparked, but with the Fates in the picture and everything that she had learned Paris, it could be. And Lena was at the forefront, which only made it all the more important to her. So important that she had to come back to this godforsaken place.

"You have always been insolent," he whispered in disappointment.

"In contrary, I might be the most docile child you have, but I wouldn't know since you have too many – some I haven't even met," she called him out. It wasn't an attempt to shame him; he took pride in his prowess. Just a fact for him to know. "I stayed here and did as you told me. I moved away and _still_ , I am still doing your bidding when you feel like it. Right now, I just want something that belongs to me."

Zeus observed her, but his eyes told her that he was calculating other things out, and she wasn't sure she would like whatever he would tell her next. His eyes darted behind her to Alex, who had been standing there quietly enjoying the show before her.

"I assume Order here has told you about the Fates," he said. She narrowed her eyes. "Might as well. I may need you to fight if the time ever comes. The suit is in the vault. I will send word to the guardians to allow your retrieval."

"This is _not_ so I can fight for you."

"No," he agreed, shaking his head and returning to his plants. "But if you need the suit, it must be something of catastrophic levels. And there is hardly anything more catastrophic than the Fates heading down the rogue path."

She frowned, almost wanting to just leave without the suit just to spite him. She reminded herself that there were priorities, so she just nodded and started to walk away. Alex looked careful, wary, as she turned with Kara.

"What word on the demon?"

Kara froze. And then she slowly swung back around. Her father was still trimming the plants. Of course, his self-obsession would blind him to the importance that Lena had become to her. He wouldn't be able to see, because he had never cared for someone like that, except maybe his plants. She didn't know if she was going nuts for being jealous over stupid plants.

She cast a wary glance to Alex, who returned it. And then she crossed her arms, taking a few seconds to think of how best to word it without raising her father's suspicions. They were right: Zeus would never allow someone who could threaten his place of power and strength to live. And she may have yet to know what Lena was; she still trusted Alex's judgement. If Lena was able to put that kind look in Alex's eyes, then Zeus would never let her go.

"Whatever it is you are up to, Kara, you still have a task," her father reminded during her moments of quiet. He thought she had been distracted. Well, wasn't exactly wrong there, just that she was distracted by the very mission he had tasked her to. He didn't need to know that. "Word on the demon?" he reiterated.

"Harmless," Alex suddenly said from behind her. "I have been observing Lena Luthor as well, and she has been harmless so far."

"Impossible."

"You don't have a high opinion of demons, do you?" Kara pointed out.

"They are _demons_."

" _You_ were the one who decided that title for them. And frankly, I have seen far more honorable behavior from them than I have from you."

" _Cherish_."

"Your Almighty," Alex interjected again, moving forward to grab Kara's arm and pull her back a little while she nodded as a sign of respect to her king. "We will take our leave now, if you permit."

Kara huffed and shook her head at her father. "We don't need his permission," she growled and spun around, stalking out of the gardens, closely followed by her sister.

* * *

" _Kiera_ ," Cat's voice echoed through the bullpen as soon as she came out of the elevator.

All heads turned towards her – some were smug, some were sympathetic, some were curious – and she winced. Her trips to Paris and Olympus had taken her away from work for five days, and she had never taken more than one day off work since she started at CatCo. This was why she was carrying a tray of three coffees – one for Cat, one for Snapper, and one for herself to make sure she could stay up and catch up on five days of missed work.

Her current motto was that if she could survive Cat Grant, the Fates would definitely not be a problem. With that in mind, she lifted her head up high and made her way down the aisles of cubicles, away from her very safe office, and into her boss' office. Snapper was in there as well – probably tattling on her, which he rightfully should.

"Miss Grant, Mr Carr," she greeted with a sheepish smile, extending the tray. "Coffee?"

"Don't think that you can buy me with coffee," Cat said, a neutral expression on her face. "But yes, I will take that coffee."

Off to a good start, then. Kara went closer to them and laid the tray down on Cat's desk, offering them their respective cups and taking hers. "First of all, I want to say I am very sorry for skipping out," she said. "My friend got in trouble and I had to help her out."

Cat stared at her knowingly. And the woman whose face seemed to always be frozen in place seemed to be…Was that a _smirk_? Kara blinked and tried not to step back so she could run if she had to. She stood in place and just stared at Cat, feeling Snapper's glare practically shaving the side of her head.

"Well, now that you have her apologize, Carr, will you leave me alone now?" Cat drawled as she removed the lid off her cup and poured obscene amount of sugar and cream into it. For such a terrifying woman who everyone had thought was Ate reincarnate, she really liked her sweet food.

Kara blinked while Snapper gave up on glaring at Kara to glaring at Cat. "You cannot be serious."

"Do I seem like I'm joking, Carr?"

"She missed out _five_ days!"

"And she's here," Cat said as she drank from the cup after replacing the lid. "And she will be catching up on all the work she's been missing out, won't you, Kara?"

"What? Oh, yes, definitely. No sleep for me tonight."

As if to prove her point, the coffee cup in her hand was lifted in the air and a desperate sip was taken. Oh yeah, she was going to need more of this to endure through tonight. She could already see the foreseeable future based on her inability to stay away from Lena Luthor – there would be no sleep for her for the rest of her eternal life.

Mocha latte: savior of immortals. No regrets and all that. The CEO's bemused expression flashed across her mind as she inhaled the roasted beans lingering in the cup. Yeah, she wouldn't regret anything.

"You're playing favorites," Snapper said.

Cat's hand paused in the air while lowering the cup. Kara really ought to get out of here before she would become collateral damage. And here she thought she was the one who couldn't keep her mouth shut. She gulped and stared at her editor with a mixture of admiration and sympathy.

In her head, she was already forming words to write on the card to his funeral. Did he like lilies? Maybe a bouquet of dead rats would be more his taste. His family probably knew him too well to not be offended.

"Carr," Cat enunciated slowly, a dangerous smile playing across her lips, "ever since I promoted Kiera to a journalist, she has given this company nothing but quality articles. As I recall, her coverage of the rundown conditions at the orphanage downtown has garnered more than ten thousand donations to said orphanage. She had an interview with the _President_ of the country and said President delivered flowers to her personally – and me too, but we're good friends so it's nothing. That article she wrote on LexCorp? The most digital views we've had in two months. She is the most capable journalist I've seen in this company, and yes, that's including you. I think after all the good work she has done, she deserves a break. As a matter of fact, five days seem menial to me. You should have taken a month, Kiera."

The younger blonde really wasn't sure if she should respond at all. But when Cat continued, she was glad she kept mum.

"So, if you're done whining, why don't you go back to your office and pick on someone else?"

Kara watched as Snapper huffed, shot her another glare, and then stormed out the door. She turned back to Cat and nodded before following him as well.

"Kiera." She stopped and turned back around. "Whatever trouble Miss Luthor has gotten herself into, tell her I wish her good luck."

There was something in Cat's eyes that was the most disconcerting. Like she knew something, but it couldn't be, right? After all, Cat Grant was just another one of the mortals who thought Donald Trump was the worst thing to ever happen to this world. And yet, her boss had that twitch on her lips and that twinkle in her eyes.

Kara didn't want to ask, so she said, "I will, Miss Grant. Um, thank you."

And then she walked out.

* * *

Work was a _bitch_. Upon entering her office, she wanted to walk out immediately and just quit. Four neat stacks of documents were seated on her desk and colorful post-its were pasted on her desktop and office phone. The whiteboard at the far right of her office was no longer empty, instead scribbled with notes and reminders from all her colleagues, Snapper's being the most glaring one in the middle of it.

This was one of those moments she wished she hadn't chosen to leave home. But then her father's behavior came as a reminder, and she supposed doing paperwork and inhaling ten cups of mocha latte were better than having to live in the same palace as that man again. So she just took it with gusto, getting every person who passed her office to get her more caffeine as she subjected her ass down on her chair for the rest of the day.

Only when the clock chimed one in the morning had the paperwork finally diminished to nothing, reassembled and recorded into her computer. She made sure that her reminders were set for next Monday before she hoisted her bag to her shoulder and left the room. As expected, the place was empty, save for the blinking lights of various phones on the desks and the occasional hum of printers.

Well, empty except for one.

Lena was sitting at one of the cubicles, typing on the laptop she brought herself and chomping down on a plastic bowl of salad. Kara blinked rapidly, determined that the darkness had eaten at her vision and she was mistaken despite her perfect vision. Thinking that the non-prescriptive glasses were impairing her sight, she took them off and zeroed in on the cubicle again.

Nope, Lena Luthor was still very much there, very much enjoying her salad and very much focused on her laptop. What the hell. The blonde bee-lined for said cubicle and stopped adjacent to it, drawing Lena's attention.

The woman's face lit up when she saw her and Kara took mild happiness in that. "Hey!" she said, standing up.

Kara allowed her confusion to show through a frown and a confounded smile. "Lena, what are you doing here? It's one in the morning."

"I figured after five days of absence, you'd be stuck in the office. I brought you dinner. Or supper, I guess." Lena lifted a paper bag stamped with the logo of her favorite Chinese restaurant.

When Kara smelled pot stickers, her stomach grumbled. "Oh lord, _thank you_ ," she moaned as she grabbed at the paper bag. Lena laughed and handed it over to her. She opened the bag and inhaled appreciatively. Fuck, she was so hungry. She glanced at the unfinished salad and then at Lena. "Wanna go to the balcony?"

The woman agreed and then they went for the balcony, settling at the table. Without waiting anymore, Kara started shoveling the food into her mouth, caring little for the sauce dribbling down her chin and the crumbs at the edges of her lips.

"I can't believe you actually forgot dinner," Lena said when they were done, chilling on the balcony and letting the hands of the clock tick by. "It's not like you."

"I didn't want to give Snapper any more reason to tattle to Cat again," Kara said, rubbing her stomach appreciatively. A whole day of nothing but statistics and assignment reminders hadn't been good, to say the least, but Lena showing up had just made it all the more better. "Thank you for coming here, though."

"I didn't miss out on five days."

"Cat told me to tell you good luck."

A look of confusion passed Lena's face. "Yes, I ran into her just now." Kara sat up straight. "She seemed very…knowing."

"She didn't say anything to you, did she?" Okay, as powerful as Lena might be, Cat Grant was something else. Kara was genuinely worried for her friend.

"Just to tell me good luck. You didn't tell her anything, right?"

" _No_ ," Kara burst out, shaking her head viciously. "She's a _mortal_."

"Is it just me or does she not seem like a mortal?" Lena pointed out.

Kara thought back to this morning, when Cat had been immensely mysterious and scary. "Honestly, with that woman, I wouldn't know where to begin."

After a shared laugh, they sat there for thirty minutes longer. Silence felt comfortable. She supposed anything with Lena would be comfortable. When Kara broke into a yawn, Lena called it a night and offered to drive her back. Once they reached her apartment building, Kara turned towards the woman and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Lena hummed pleasingly and hugged her back. "What are friends for?"

* * *

 **WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR**

 **guys, guys, oh my god, that last supergirl episode was _so_ gay. imra and gayle were _so_ gay. i've fallen yet into another brunette/blonde pairing. i _need moreeeeee_**

 **also, don't hate me, but i'm shipping agent reign more than sanvers. fuck.**


	18. and i told you to be balanced

**i hit quite a bump with this one - spent like an hour staring at a blank document and pausing and erasing and retyping and shit. but hey, at least it's done! yay!**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

It was fifteen minutes before eight on a Tuesday evening, and Lena was stood just a few steps away from her car, where her driver waited for her with the door open. She had been stuck there for ten minutes already, unable to bring herself to get in.

The Air Maker prototype was still waiting in the laboratory for her to complete – she had insisted to be in charge hands-on entirely with the final wrap up before testing. Maybe she could just go back in and refuse to come out. Being confined in a room with her brain and the first product she would create for the humans was definitely more tempting than getting in the car.

Her hand was already in her coat pocket and wrapped around her phone, poised to text Steve to call off his colleagues and ignore the entire operation. The phone buzzed and she quickly took it out, eager to see Steve telling her that something had come up and they couldn't make it. It was a valid excuse for her to shirk out.

 _Diana (7:47 p.m.): Get in the car, Lena._

She frowned and honed in on her senses, bypassing the mortal auras and searching for the familiar demigoddess'. Her phone buzzed again.

 _Diana (7:47 p.m.): I'm not there, but I know you.  
Diana (7:48 p.m.): Get in the car. You will be fine._

She sighed and pocketed her phone. A few more moments of staring at the ajar door and bracing herself of what was to come, she approached the vehicle, flashed Paul an apologetic smile, and climbed in. She dropped her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, remembering all the horrible moments of her childhood when she wasn't in Lex's or Hades' or Persephone's company, forced to be with Lillian.

Coward wasn't what anyone would call her. And she wasn't afraid of her stepmother; it was just that she had spent quite a lot of effort to avoid being in the woman's vicinity. So much so that she had her own chambers at Hades' palace, where she spent most of her days. Sometimes, Cerberus even served as a very nice pillow in her attempt to avoid going back to the place her father had proudly announced as her home.

It was anything but.

As they drew nearer to the park, her senses tingled again, and she was detecting another familiar presence. She opened her eyes to look out the window, trying to spot the owner of that aura, but there was nothing to indicative. Her nerves had gotten so far up her ends that she was making up stuff.

Just great.

The car slowed to a stop and she took a few deep breaths. "This is your turf," she reminded herself.

 _Steve (8:02 p.m.): We're prepped_.

Her brows met in the middle of the bridge of her nose. "Give me a sec," she told her driver as her fingers flew over the keypad.

 _Lena (8:02 p.m.): We?_

 _Steve (8:02 p.m.): As if Diana would ever let you do this without someone she trusts._

Well, that was a relief. A conciliatory smile emerged on her face. She nodded to herself, at her driver for no reason at all, and climbed out of the car. She entered the park, taking in the families and lovers and loners wandering the paths, unaware of the omniscient beings lingering among them. It took another two minutes of walking to locate the statue – Hestia, she thought it was ironic when she suggested it.

Lena stopped in her tracks when she saw the woman standing by the statue, staring up at her with a sardonic smile on her lips – a smile that never seemed to leave her lips. Her mood soured more when she noticed the woman's companion, whistling by the fountain a few feet away. Both of them were dressed in civilian clothing.

She clenched her jaw and approached the woman, standing next to her and following her gaze. Hestia's facial features were carved rather mediocrely, but this was still just a statue in the park after all. The city council probably just wanted something to decorate the place. Still, mediocrity aside, the statue still carried meaning, and Lena had to fight the laugh from escaping her breath.

"You are late," Lillian said, not looking away from the statue.

"Mortal pretense does that," Lena replied airily. "Why did you bring him?"

"He wanted to see you."

The CEO's lips curl in a snarl. "I don't understand why you even involved him in the first place. Moronic, clumsy, horny. As I remember, he's everything you despise in a man."

"In anyone, really. Reminds me of your father."

Lena grimaced, throwing a, "That's disgusting," and moving away towards the bench on the other side of the path. She accidentally made eye contact with Mon-El and had to fight the urge to rip him apart when he smirked and wiggled his fingers at her.

"You did not ask me to meet you to tell me I'm disgusting," Lillian said, joining Lena on the bench. "I will be honest: I was quite startled when I saw your message. You were adamant in avoiding my presence since you entered adulthood." The older woman looked around them and, like she was finally understanding where she was and who she was in the company of, gave a barely disguised shudder. "Honestly, Lena, why can you never keep better company?"

"The fact that I try to avoid you is proof enough that I have good judgement in whom I keep by my side," Lena easily retorted, allowing a small smirk when her stepmother shot her a distasteful glare. "Your beloved son fell for one of these humans, you know. And if it wasn't for him, I would not be here in the first place." Back then, Lena would have said that with displeasure and impatience, but now, she was just stating a fact. She had found that perhaps the mortals were not too awful. Or maybe it wasn't the mortals at all.

The older woman's hand gestured in a dismissive manner in the air. "That will pass soon, and then he will return to my side."

"Why are you trying to kill me?" Lena asked without further ado, staring at her stepmother.

Lillian tilted her head. "I am not." The younger woman raised her brows disbelievingly. "Believe it or not, Lena, I am trying to save you."

"I choose not."

"And I do not blame you," Lillian easily said, smiling proudly at her stepdaughter. "Suspicion is good, dear. You cannot trust people, not even the people closest to you," she spat the last words. And Lena could see that she was talking about her absent husband. They stayed silent for a long few minutes, Lena staring at her stepmother and her stepmother staring into the distance. "Mon-El is a true idiot."

The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes and smirked. "You cannot have just realized that now."

"Oh no, his idiocy is the only reason I approached him in the first place, but dear Olympus, that boy doesn't know Elysium from Asphodel. I think he once tried to seduce the spirit of Carrie Fisher." Lena's eyes widened. She had rarely ever shared a laugh with Lillian, but this time, she couldn't help herself. "That woman put him in his place, of course. Perhaps the only mortal I can tolerate."

The laughter evaporated quickly, and Lena stole a glance at the building that Steve had told her one of his agents would be at. She tried to hone in on the presence she found most comfortable and found it still lingering. Her peers were hidden, but she found comfort in knowing that they were still here.

Lena wasn't entirely blind – she could see that her stepmother had somewhat lost the animosity that she had always carried whenever her stepdaughter was around, and she seemed to be in a rather acceptable mood as compared to the past; it kind of eased her and reignited a small flame to the candle of home that had almost reached the butt. But Lena wasn't stupid either, which was one of the reasons Lillian had hated her in the first place – her stepmother could very well be putting on a very good act to try to lure her into a trap she might never get out of.

She didn't know what to make of it. The reason she didn't want to come out here in the first place, so reluctant to even get the messenger to reach her stepmother, was because it had been so long since she saw her. The distance and the time could imply a lot of things – Lillian could have become worse, remained the same, or turned for the better. Lena didn't have much confidence in the final option.

She steeled herself and sat straighter. "What are you doing, mother?" she asked, almost whispering, an indication of her exhaustion.

"There are many things you do not know," Lillian replied.

"Like the fact that you're working with the Fates? Or that you orchestrated my meeting with Kara? Or that you might have planned for Lex to meet Lana as well?" Lena iterated her list, starting to grow impatient. When Lillian looked surprised, she pushed on. "Half of my blood belongs to father. And my birth mother was not stupid either."

"Lena –"

"Fine." She stood up and rounded on her stepmother. "I never expected you to tell me everything anyway. At least tell me one thing. Why Kara?" She raised her brows, crossing her arms. "What is it about Kara that you deem so worthy in your mission to put her in my path? Why is she even a part of whatever your plan is to kill me? Why Kara?"

The older woman only stared at her a little while longer before she shook her head and smiled sardonically. "Do you remember that time after the war? When Ares' death did not quite appease the hunger in these mortals?" she asked.

Lena frowned. She didn't know why Lillian would bring this up. They stopped seeing each other long before – or so they tried. What was she supposed to remember that was shared with Lillian?

"That time when you almost died and met daughter of Hippolyta?" Lillian jogged her memory.

The raven haired woman's frown deepened. "What does that have to do with anything?" How did she even know of her friendship with Diana?

Her stepmother seemed to be struggling with something as she kept her gaze on Lena. Only this time, instead of despise and disgust that Lena had gotten used to, the woman was staring at her with mild warmth and slight regret. To say Lena was spooked would be understatement of the century.

And then Lillian stood up, like she had given up on elaborating, or just simply changed her mind. One hand drew out of her coat pocket and waved in the direction of Mon-El, who had only been circling them for their entire conversation, which Lena was immensely grateful about.

"You'll see, Lena."

Lena wanted to stop her mother from leaving, but froze and had to stop _herself_ from committing any violence when Mon-El threw her a leering smirk. He hadn't even spoken a word, didn't even have to, and she could already feel the hard-earned control slipping. Perhaps that was his power: to be a creepy jerk.

She didn't know how long she stood there and stared at the empty spot her mother had just occupied. But it certainly startled her when her phone vibrated violently in her pocket, and she remembered that she was still in the mortal realm. Her hand trembled when she fished it out, almost failing to take the call.

"Hello?" she managed.

"You alright?" Steve asked.

She blinked and took a steadying breath before nodding, knowing he was still watching her. She cleared her throat and drew her other hand out of her coat pocket to scratch her forehead. "Yeah, yeah," she said quietly, not quite able to make one out from another.

"Kara's nearby, but she's not sure if you want her to go to you," he said, gentle.

She smiled. She wasn't wrong, after all. It wasn't her making things up. The aura was real. So she nodded again. "Yeah, I could…" she stopped short and steeled herself. Steve Trevor was still a stranger nonetheless, even if he was Diana's boyfriend and seemed have become Kara's newest best friend.

Steve seemed to get it, because he said, "I'll text her. We'll regroup tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

She stared back down at the phone, fully knowing that just a simple squeeze could crush the device. It was a terrifying thought, yet gratifying at the same time. Exactly what it meant was unknown, but there was comfort to be taken in the fact that strength remained – she wasn't weak.

Sitting back down on the bench, she relaxed her posture and closed her eyes, breathing as much as she could, something she had forgotten to do during her conversation with Lillian. Air wasn't a necessity for Lena, but it was a fixture, a pole, she held onto when she needed it. This was _her_ turf, and no stepmother and no Fates and no Mon-El could take that away.

At that, she heaved a disbelieving chuckle, breathy and exhausted.

"What's so funny?"

She opened her eyes and saw Kara walking towards her, both confused and concerned. Patting the empty space next to her on the bench, she remained silent and leaned into Kara's shoulder when the blonde sat down.

Kara was warm. Kara was solid. Kara was here with her. And Lena could stay here forever. With Hestia staring down at them. The goddess hesitated for a second before extending her arm behind them and pulled Lena closer into her, gluing the CEO to her side with a firm and unrelenting grip. Lena sighed again, this time in relief, and accepted the gesture.

"You should go home. It's late," Kara whispered when she was done staring at the stone face of her aunt.

"Don't you want to know what she said?"

"We can talk later. I just wanted to make sure you're safe tonight."

Lena's eyes were drifting close to the pattern of the lights on the fountain, casting a kaleidoscope of rainbows across a short distance, either putting people to sleep or livening them up. Her breathing grew deeper with each exhale. She should stop. She should get out of Kara's arms. She should sit up and call for her driver. She should do so many things.

But Kara was so safe. She felt so safe. Safety was so rare that it had become a luxury for her. Hestia's eyes were still pinned on her, as if telling Lena in that gentle voice that she was famous for that she should sleep. It was time for rest. She would be okay.

* * *

 _Lena (7:46 a.m.): Thank you._

 _Kara (7:51 a.m.): Don't mention it._

* * *

The Air Maker's prototype was finally ready. After meeting with Lillian, she had decided that enough time had been spent on this whole mess that had no head or tail and she should at least pretend to be responsible as a human to keep up appearances. So for four days, apart from the daily hourly lunch time that Kara forced her into and a nightly sleep of a total three hours, most of them had been spent in the laboratory.

And after four days of tweaking, installing, removing, cursing, kicking, and ignoring, the prototype was finally ready to submit to her on a Saturday afternoon. Pride and joy found their way into her chest as her lips split into a joyful grin. See, not even her stepmother or a disgusting creep or three sisters whom Zeus was even afraid of could deter her from her genius.

She made sure the prototype was safe and away from inexperienced hands before she made her way up to her office and pour herself a glass of scotch. Self-celebration should be a thing, she briefly thought as she cheered to herself and sipped the whole glass, and then poured one more.

It was her third glass when her muscles finally loosened and she finally felt the tension and knots tying up her joints, mostly affecting her neck and shoulders. She groaned in response, rolling her neck and stretching her legs and collapsing on the couch, her entire body spanning the length but the glass steadily held in her hand.

She made sure to text Jess to organize a press conference and Lex to tell him about the good news before she promptly fell asleep on the couch, the sun shining on her face and the city celebrating her success with honks and shouts.

* * *

Laughter. Grumbles. Conversations. Very familiar voices yet uncertain. Green eyes found their way to the real world at the much undesirable intrusion – her dream had brought her so close to undressing Kara. Well, maybe the intrusion was a good idea.

The couch had remained the cushion of her slumber, the sun had bade its goodbye and yielded its position to the moon, and two very strong Olympian presences filled her nostrils instantly as soon as consciousness found its seating completely. She removed her arm from over the top of her head and blinked away the sleepiness as she stared at the blanket covering the lower half of her body. The glass that had been in her hand hours earlier was now on the coffee table before her.

"You work too hard." To her right, sitting comfortably at the bar and drinking from her precious collection of high end alcohol, were Kara, Alex, Steve, and…Maggie? What the heck?

"I should really speak to my security," Lena muttered when she had stared at them long enough to get the idea that they were really here.

Kara giggled. "I was worried when you didn't answer my texts. And Alex and Maggie were with me. I figured Steve could join us," she explained.

Lena couldn't help but smile at the thought that Kara would purposely make a trip here just to check on her. But there was still an asshole in her, so she said, "Yes, and welcome to my chardonnay, don't you? Feel free."

Alex drank from her glass and hummed in appreciation. "I have to say: you have really good taste in wine."

"It's how I cope with life," Lena said, pushing out of the couch and making her way to the bar. She took a seat on the only empty stool and gestured at Steve to pour her one glass.

Except Kara stopped him, had a hand held out in his direction and another gently laid on her arm. "I think you've drank enough for the day?" she said, the inflection in her voice wary and bemused. Not so surreptitiously, she slid her eyes over to the lone glass on the coffee table in the distance, accompanied by a quarterly empty scotch bottle.

"I think you know I don't get drunk." She patted Kara's hand reassuringly and gestured at Steve again.

"What? High alcohol tolerance?" Maggie voiced out from beside Alex.

The other four shared looks with one another, remembering that Maggie was the only one who had yet to grasp their situation, which prodded Lena to wonder what she was doing here really. It wasn't like she could do anything about this case anymore. She'd be the first to die if they allowed her to.

"Something like that," Lena said, smiling in thanks at Steve when he offered her a glass filled with red wine. "So why were you two together?" She smirked at the detective and the redhead, raising her brows, particularly at the redhead.

Alex blushed while Maggie rolled her eyes. "We were having dinner."

"Ah," Lena drawled. "Dinner. Is that what they call it now?" Her smirk widened when Kara nudged her at the waist. "And what are _you_ doing here?" she directed at Steve.

"Oh, you know, haven't been here in awhile. Thought I could see what it's become." Steve was a professional spy. A spy during World War I, for god's sake. Lying came easily to him. His eyes told her something else though, and she knew that they still had to talk. Maggie just had to be somewhere else.

"Remind me what you said you do again?" Maggie prompted.

Steve smirked. "I never told you."

"Damn it." Maggie shook her head. She looked at Lena. "So, Lena," she said slowly, her eyes inquisitive and knowing at the same time, "we scrubbed through the security cameras of the city last night just to see if we get anything new." Oh shit. "And we saw something pretty interesting."

Kara's hand surreptitiously sneaked to her knee, gripping tightly. Alex was rubbing her forehead pretty intensely, and Steve seemed to be downing two glasses of red wine in one go. Maggie, because she was a detective, of course took notice of their movements and grew in her suspicion.

Lena ought to teach them hiding skills, particularly disappointed in Steve.

"You're really making my job very hard," Maggie said. The Latina sighed and twirled her own glass in her hand as she looked at all of them once. "What are you hiding from me? From us? The police force? Who can easily arrest you tomorrow morning?"

"I'm surprised you didn't already." Tactful, Lena. Nice. Way to go.

"Who was that?" Maggie asked directly. She pinched her lips and waved in the air. "Why were you with that woman? Why was he there? Why didn't you call us first thing?"

Keeping her calm, Lena offered a smile and a shrug. Nonchalance was the best way to go in these situations. In her head, she was already planning to call the mayor tomorrow morning. It was best to get Maggie off this case before collateral damage became real and unnecessary trouble came her way.

Progress could already be seen. It wasn't big. And she suspected they still had some way to go before breakthrough could at least be in sight. But there was something. She knew which straws to grab, at least.

"I took care of it myself," Lena said. She _was_ taking care of it. "You don't have to worry about it anymore. Close the file if you can."

"We're not the school board committee, Lena," Maggie chastised. "You can't just go off on your own and expect us to close the file because you ask us to. That's not how the police force works." Each syllable was emphasized with a pointed finger jabbed on the surface of the bar top. "We can very well arrest you on the grounds of obstruction of justice."

"Maggie, I like you. You're a good detective, I can see that. But I don't trust the cops," the CEO said without remorse. "The news hasn't been very convincing in terms of the police force's trustworthiness. So I'm not sorry that I decided to just take care of it on my own terms, and I did." It was for the detective's own good, potentially lifesaving kind of good. "But thank you, still, for believing in me. I don't find a lot of that in my life." When the detective opened her mouth, Lena stopped her by sliding off the stool and drinking the rest of her wine. "Now, I'm gonna call it a night. I've spent the last few days stuck in a laboratory trying to help the human population and I'm tired. Thank you for dropping by, all of you."

Maggie was visibly displeased, but thankfully, she still went out the door with Alex and Steve. Kara stayed behind and cleaned up with Lena.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Kara asked as she washed the glasses at the sink in the pantry.

Lena dried off the already washed glasses and said, "I'm calling the mayor tomorrow." Kara stared at her, and Lena immediately went on defensive mode. "I can't have a mortal involved. Steve is already enough, but he knows the situation. Maggie is – look, the less lives lost, the better."

"Hey." The blonde shut off the tap and closed on her, their shoulders nudging against one another. "I get it." An understanding smile tugged on her lips. "And no lives will be lost, you hear me? I'm keeping my promise."

Lena placed the last glass in the rack and turned around, leaning back against the counter. "Okay," she whispered.

* * *

 **so what is lillian up to? is she good or is she bad? does she really want to kill lena? is she really working with the fates? why is she still keeping mon-el there? so many questions i love myself**

 **and yeah, i'm having a really hard time keeping maggie in here. i'm kinda stumped at how i can bring her forward, so for now, she'll be disappearing for awhile. also, i'm definitely bringing samantha arias in, but whether she'll end up together alex (because i totally ship them more than i ship sanvers sue me) is still something i'm trying to flesh out.**


	19. it was a pleasure to burn

**kara's mom makes an appearance. so i know they recast alura, but to me, laura benanti will always be alura zor-el, thank you very much. and cat grant being the mysterious badass that she always is. _a lot of revelations this chapter._**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

"Something on your mind?"

Kara turned around to find Cat Grant lingering at the door that separated the CatCo headquarters and the balcony. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the railing, ignoring the natural nerves that had struck her whenever Cat talked to her and nodding in admission of the jumble in her brain right now.

Because as much as Cat Grant was the woman who pretty much launched the idea that consumer magazines and professional journalism could merge flawlessly, as much as she was perhaps the scariest woman that Kara had encountered in this mortal realm, she was still the woman who looked past Kara's klutzy and nerdy appearance and believed in her. So much so that she was willing to keep Kara as an assistant until she realized her potential as a journalist.

And Kara respected her for that, more than anyone. Even loved her for it. Though they had never said it, Kara knew that she held a special place in Cat's heart. The older woman was almost like a mother to her – Kara didn't have much of that in her life. Her real mother had fled and Kara tried not to destroy that illusion as much as possible.

She hadn't seen her birth mother in ages.

Cat hummed, narrowed her eyes slightly, and stepped out to the balcony to stand next to Kara. Both of them faced opposite directions.

"Do you believe in god, Kara? Or gods, I suppose?" Cat asked.

Kara tried really hard not to react physically, but her fingers twitched hard against her arm. She clenched her jaw and lowered her gaze to her brown loafers. "Um, yes, I guess?"

Cat hummed again. Those hums were always followed by a scalding scolding or an insightful advice. Kara wasn't sure she wanted to hear either. Cat was always a perceptive person, not always forthcoming, but often had a way to get her point across in the most polite yet burning manner. The goddess wasn't certain what point Cat was trying to get across tonight.

"Orpheus," Cat said.

Kara blinked at the familiar name – the name of someone she could never help but pity. She met him once, the saddest man she had ever come across, absolutely hated her kind. She had always felt his hatred unfair. All he had to do was follow instructions. Simple and easy. Just don't turn around and happiness would have been his.

"He was a stupid one, that man," Cat opined. But Kara could hear that it didn't sound so much like an opinion as a knowing thought. She didn't look up. "You can learn from him."

And she looked up, befuddled by Cat's remark. "Like what?" she asked.

Cat steepled her fingers and stared up at the moon. "Don't look back." Kara blinked. "You're troubled, Kiera, by your past. You have a war going on inside your head." Cat turned sideways to look Kara in the eyes, a contemplating glint in those irises. "What happened happened. There's no changing it. Now, you have a chance to let go of that war and pursue something that can grant you more happiness than you could imagine, but you are here. Waiting. Like a moron."

"Miss Grant?"

"This life –" Cat flourished her fingers in the air back and forth, her lips curling "– is not forever. Journalism. Your apartment. That dog of yours. They're not forever. But there is something that is forever. Someone," she corrected and pointed in the building that stood out almost as much as the CatCo building in the distance.

"Miss Grant, I –"

" _Kara_." The goddess shut up, blinking rapidly at the rarely accurate pronunciation of her name. " _Cherish_ what you have in sight." And then Cat smiled and made her way back inside, but not before saying, "Don't be an idiot like Orpheus and look back on something that can't be changed."

* * *

Alura was a woman in love, a woman who had decided to leave home for a mortal, a woman who had children with the mortal, and a woman who didn't think Kara was enough for her to take with. Kara didn't blame her, she would never. After all, she wasn't a product of consent – Alura had the right to find her resentful on sight.

Except her mother didn't. Her mother didn't hate her. Instead, she had left Kara in Olympus because she loved her daughter. Because Zeus might be a predator, she knew that Kara could only grow in strength and wisdom amongst her relatives and siblings, amongst her own kind. So before she descended to the mortal realm to be with the human man she fell in love with, Alura had left Kara a necklace and told her to whisper a chant whenever she felt like wanting to meet, and Alura would always welcome her to her home.

So Kara took the necklace out and whispered to it, the familiar yet unfamiliar words escaping her lips in weak draws. Not long after, a bird landed on her fire escape and dropped a small piece of rolled up paper on the steps. On it was a hastily scrawled address.

Then a portal was conjured and when she stepped through it, she was in Spain. Her mother was sitting outside a café, nursing a cup of latte and reading Spanish newspaper, as if she hadn't just heard her daughter ask to see her and for her help. In what, Kara still wasn't sure. She just wanted to see her mother.

And then the woman surreptitiously tugged a chair out and tapped on the metal twice with her foot, still engrossed in the newspaper. Kara stuffed her hands in her pockets and sat down on the chair, casting her gaze around the Spanish town, taking in the place her mother had chosen to live in for the last twenty years.

It was quiet. Spring was making appearance with the melting snow and the rising temperature, though not so much that they could take their coats and scarves off just yet. High-rise buildings were nowhere to be seen, save for a few residential buildings, but those couldn't compare to the skyscrapers found in the city. An ice-cream truck was sitting at the shoulder on the east side of the road, passing cones to approaching children.

Peaceful. Serene. Not at all like National City – not at all like Olympus. Her mother made a good choice.

"I'm sorry to…" Kara started, but didn't know how to finish. For intruding? For disturbing her mother's moments of peace with her mortal husband and mortal children? For reminding Alura that Kara came out of something painful? She gulped and clenched her jaw, not looking at her mother at all. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Alura's hand appeared on her lap, covering her own fisted ones gently – like a mother. Kara closed her eyes. She had missed the woman. Alura patted her hands a couple of times, and then said, "I'm always happy to see my daughter. So young. So beautiful."

The blonde lifted her eyes to look at the woman. Age had started to catch up, but not as fast as it would have grasped a mortal. Laugh lines were shallow on the edges of Alura's lips and eyes. A little bit of wrinkled paper effect on her skin. But to anyone, she still just looked like a woman in her late thirties.

"What is it, Kara?" her mother asked, tilting her head questioningly.

"Have you ever met Orpheus?" she asked, deliberately keeping her voice low to keep it between the two of them.

The older woman nodded. "Just the one time. Eurydice was still by his side back then. Why do you ask?"

"I – Cat mentioned something about him last night. It's nothing."

Alura blinked, seemingly unnerved. "Cat Grant mentioned Orpheus?" Kara inclined her head as a sign of confirmation. Alura was quiet for a moment and then she asked, "How is she? Still as scary as you deem her to be?"

"Same old."

"Still taking care of you?"

Kara stared at her mother, who had recovered from her previous state of something that resembled fear. "Yes," she drew out.

Alura patted her hands again and withdrew. "Good." She then offered a motherly smile. "What do you need?"

Instead of answering, the younger woman just stared at her mother longer. She didn't miss out on how her mother had looked as if she wanted to flee just moments ago. She also heard the inflection in Alura's voice, like she knew Cat on a personal level and not just because Kara had told her about her boss. Sure, Goddess of Cherish wasn't the smartest person, but her intelligence was certainly high enough to know that there was something going on here.

Maybe Lena was right. Maybe _she_ herself wasn't mistaken. Maybe something else was really going on here, apart from the whole the Fates and Lillian and Mon-El attempting to peel off their skins.

"Mother," she pronounced carefully as she leaned forward, "do you want to tell me something?"

"I thought _you_ wanted to tell me something."

Kara licked her lips. She would have gone ahead and just ignore whatever signs she was picking up, wave them away as nonsense. But the look in her mother's eyes was not something to be ignored. She was starting wonder how she hadn't picked up on it before. Rather than taking the bait, she just locked her mother down with a hard gaze.

"Kara, there's nothing –"

"Do you know Cat Grant?" Kara asked. "Like know her _know_ her?" Alura huffed and Kara plowed ahead, "Because you look like you do. When I told you about her mentioning Orpheus, you looked like you're afraid and angry at the same time. And you asked me if she's still taking care of me, like she was _supposed_ to take care of me. Why does she have to take care of me? She's just my boss."

Kudos to her mother, though. She held on far longer than Kara expected. She'd been told that while she had the face like a golden retriever, but if she put her heart to it, she'd put the fear of god into anyone under her stare. But then again, if anyone could hold out, it would be the woman who gave birth to her.

"When you told you have decided to join me here, I asked for some help," Alura admitted, looking away from her daughter.

"From Cat Grant."

Alura raised her brows for a second and heaved a nervous chuckle. "She wasn't Cat Grant."

Kara blinked a few times, the points already connecting in her head, the puzzle pieces fitting together. There wasn't a whole picture yet, but it was there, enough for her to discern where the next pieces could go if she had them. Cat's knowing smile, Cat's familiar tune when she talked about Orpheus, Cat's advice on Lena – all of them coming together, slotting into their rightful places.

She leaned back, looking at Alura in disbelief and frustration. "Are you _kidding_ me?" she hissed, mindful to not raise her voice.

"Kara –"

"I _don't_ need your protection!" Kara exclaimed. "I do fine on my own."

"I _know_ that," Alura retorted, defensive and no longer sheepish. "And will you keep your voice down?" Kara huffed, clenching her jaw. "I know you can take care of yourself. You've proven that marvelously. But I am still your mother, and forgive me for being worried about my _Olympian_ daughter who knew next to nothing about mortal living. If it wasn't for Cat, you wouldn't have had gotten that job in the first place. Journalism wouldn't even be something you'd _consider_ if Cat Grant hadn't hired you in the first place."

"I can do something else."

"Like what?" Alura asked, raising her brows skeptically. "I don't want to see you slaving away in coffee shop because that's the only thing you can do. You are a _goddess_ , for Pete's sake."

"You didn't seem to appreciate that when you left," Kara growled, eyes burning with anger and humiliation.

Her mother blinked, and then she sat back with realization coloring her face. "Is that what this is about?" she sighed.

Kara inhaled deeply. She shouldn't have come. "You _left_ , mother," she whispered, shaking her head. "You left me all alone with father, giving me the illusion that he was kind and benevolent and everything that we should all aspire to be. You didn't even deem me important enough to tell me the _truth_. I had to find out from _Persephone_! My mother wasn't even there for me to tell me what to do." One waiter came out from the interior and she hurriedly waved him away, in no mood for coffee. "I don't blame you for leaving. You have the right to leave you. He had no right to have done what he did. And I know that looking at me can be painful because it's a reminder of what he did, but you could at least have the _courtesy_ to tell me the truth before you left."

She didn't know where it came from. Perhaps these thoughts had been swirling inside a hidden corner of her mind since she'd learned the truth about her parents. But after everything that had happened since Zeus gave her the task, everything had been bubbling inside her chest that she couldn't tell left from right. And maybe that was when these thoughts finally made themselves known and forced her to finally have this outburst now.

She loved her mother; she truly did. The woman had been nothing but kind and loving, despite the distance that had not stopped expanding between them. And yeah, a small part of her conscience was willing to admit that this probably wasn't fair to Alura, but the fact that Cat Grant had been right under her nose this whole time, the idea that her mother had meddled in her life, the truth that she probably hadn't truly been in control even though she had come to the mortal realm to do just that, they were too much to bear.

"I don't…deny that looking at you can occasionally be painful," Alura confessed after she was sure that Kara would let her talk, regretful and guilty. "What your father did was unforgivable. And then when I discovered that I was with child – you – I almost did not want to keep you." Sometimes, Kara wished she hadn't. "Cat was the one responsible for me taking back that decision, which I will be eternally grateful for, because, Kara, you are one of the greatest things I have done in my life. I could not be more proud of you if I tried. You are strong, smart, and so, so kind."

The blonde shook her head vehemently. "I left my duties. I am not strong nor am I kind."

"That is where you are wrong. Your father has always been self-absorbed; he cared little for anyone, even his children. He had no right to force those kinds of duties on you, and I am glad that you are aware enough to know when to leave." Alura sighed. "I left you in Olympus because you were still a child. You were so happy with the people. You had friends and siblings. I could not take that away from you. And looking at you idolize your father like that, I could not bear to take that away from you. I did not realize that my decision had put you in such pain and misery, and I am truly sorry for that."

This was all a little too much. To be honest, she didn't even know why she was here in the first place. It had been a little more than five years since she had last visited. As far as she was concerned, her human siblings were already in high school. They probably didn't even know that they were half-bloods, which, truthfully, worked in their favor.

She hoped they never had to learn about their true identity. Being half-bloods meant that they were healthier than mortals, but they would still die, perhaps a little later than their peers, though not so much that it would raise suspicion. She had only ever seen them from afar – two girls and a boy. Must be less painful for her mother to see them than to see her.

"So…Cat," she pointed out.

"I will not apologize for that," Alura said, shaking her head. "She helped me with you and I will be in her debt."

"I just wish you had told me about her."

"Honey, you left Olympus because you wanted to be away from the Olympians. Do you really think you would have taken it well if I had told you? Besides, she did not meddle so much as gave you little pushes here and there. Cat is a smart woman; she knows what to do and what not to do."

"I bet she only hired me because you're friends."

"She hired you to offer a foundation. She would have let you go had you asked to. You and your journey to a journalism career now is entirely on you, and she is only there to offer you the opportunities you deserve," Alura explained. "Kara, she was the reason you are even here today. I do not blame her for wanting to see you grow, and doing little things here and there to help you in the matter. But I promise you, in no way has she ever gotten in too deep where you do not have absolute control."

The trip to Paris had been scarily eye-opening. Kara did not like anything that Lena and Diana had told her about the three sisters, but she didn't really have time to bother with the new knowledge, given that Lena was _stupid_ enough to think that her death would actually help them, as if Kara would ever allow that to happen.

She spent much of the time in Paris being confused, worried, happy, and pissed off, all of them because of Lena. And those emotions didn't really leave her much time to worry about herself, think about the implications.

Now she was back in National City, where she could sleep in her own bed and go to work and do things on her own, but she couldn't help but think – was it all really on her own? If Lena and Diana were right, if Hermes did not lie in those volumes, then it meant that none of them was ever really in control.

Her escape to the mortal realm was all for thing. Everything she had done, every decision she had made, every move she had executed, every point she turned, every corner she took – they were all nothing but a sham, an illusion of control. She was nothing but a puppet, just like the rest of them, immortal or not. Maybe even her desire to leave Olympus was the Fates' fault – perhaps it wasn't even her who made that decision.

It made her doubt everything. And she hated it. She had had enough of doubting people and things around her. All she wanted was to live forever in peace, as far away from the toxicity of the place she used to call home as possible.

"I'm not too sure about that," she muttered.

Alura frowned. "Kara?"

Kara shook her head, licking her lips. "I don't know if I have ever been control of anything – any of us, really."

"What are you talking about?"

She swallowed and looked at her mother, who just stared with concern. "I'm involved in some…really deliberative plot that might have been cooked up by the Fates," she admitted, knowing that her mother would be the last person to rat her out to her father.

Alura paused, tensed up entirely. She looked away for a second, the same expression from when they had started talking about Cat reemerging. "What did you get yourself into, Kara?" she finally asked.

Tired of keeping it all in a bottle, Kara just spilled everything.

* * *

By Monday, she almost didn't want to go the office to avoid seeing Cat. She wasn't sure she'd be able to manage her temper just yet. But the worry was for nothing, because the woman herself didn't even make it to the office, claiming emergency leave, which had only increased the suspicion in Kara. Because for as long as Kara had worked for the woman, Cat Grant never took holidays without offering them notice three months prior.

But that would have to be put aside, because Snapper had dragged her aside the moment she walked in and told her that she would be covering the LexCorp press conference happening in the afternoon. That was how she ended up sitting in the same seat as the first time she attended a LexCorp press conference.

Eventually, the moderator came out, shushed the audience, and announced for Lena Luthor, Lex Luthor, the head of LexCorp National City's R&D department, and so on and so forth to make their appearances on stage. The journalist couldn't help but gulp at the sight of slender pale legs that emerged under a sinfully short pencil skirt, the pale blue blouse with its top three buttons undone, and the neck that was exposed with black hair tied into a neat ponytail.

Come on, Kara was a goddess, _not_ sexless.

When Lena's eyes met hers across the distance, genuine smiles mirrored each other on both of their faces.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Lex began, using the charming smile he was infamous for to address them. "Thank you for coming. Today is a special day, a day when I can tell you how proud I am of my dear sister here. I have never doubted her ability to truly soar and maybe even surpass my achievements. Her efforts with LexCorp in the city are more than enough proof that she's got what it takes to be a CEO. However, her work with the Air Maker will become proof that she's got it takes to be an _inventor_ as well. Lena?"

The raven haired woman smiled gratefully at her brother and moved closer to her mic. "Two weeks ago, we have completed the prototype for the Air Maker."

Almost immediately, the room erupted with questions and exclamations – all carrying tones of disbelief. Kara had been in the circle long enough to know that they didn't really believe that Lena could do it. She just smiled proudly and waited for the woman on stage to continue. She had known about this since that night they went to Lena's office to find her sleeping on the couch, but Lena had refused to reveal anything until today.

Once the room had quieted down, Lena kept on, "And in the span of two weeks, we have run the prototype through every humane test imaginable to ensure its safety and durability. Through several trials and errors, we are proud to say that the Air Maker is finally ready to launch." Lena produced a device out of nowhere, putting it on the table. The screen behind them magnified the device for all to see. "As you can see, it is considerably small in size for something that could save lives, which is our goal in terms of compactness and usefulness. As soon as the product is launched, we will release detailed guides on how to correctly use it to full advantage. Our ultimate goal with this product is to ensure that we have enough oxygen wherever we go. And if worse comes to worse and oxygen depletion has become a more serious problem than it is now, we are confident that this device will assist in our survival as human beings."

When they were certain that Lena had finished her speech, the room erupted again. The moderator had to shush them again and point out journalists to ask their questions one by one. Kara, as a friend, did not want to ask the question she wanted to, but, as a journalist, she knew she had to. She just hoped Lena would understand and wouldn't get angry at her.

The moderator pointed at her once she raised her hand. She stood up and composed her most professional expression, holding out her recorder. "Miss Luthor, I believe I have asked this question last time, but is there any precaution against the possibility of it landing in the wrong hands?"

Thankfully, Lena only smiled in response, eyes glinting. Kara breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. "Bioterrorism, yes?" Kara nodded. "I'll be glad to tell you that we have installed a defense mechanism in each and every one of this that we produce. If one ever does land in the hands of an individual with twisted intentions, the device will send an alert to the law enforcement once malicious tampering is detected."

Kara's eyes widened, mildly surprised at the fact that Lena actually took her question for all those months ago to heart and did something to alleviate the potential worries for bioterrorism. Her smile was genuine when she said, "Thank you, Miss Luthor."

"Thank you for the question, Miss Danvers."

And then the two large doors at the back of the room burst open. Alex came running in, eyes wide with panic and voice at the loudest, accompanied by the fire alarm being triggered. "Everybody, get the hell out!" she shouted, arms sweeping in the air.

Just then, smoke billowed into the room, engulfing everyone in the matter of seconds. Kara tried to push past the people to get to the stage, but the screams and the panicking had only managed to push her _away_ and out the door. In the end, she was pushed out of the hotel itself, where fire engines and police cruisers were already parked and prepared to perform rescue operations.

Kara looked up, fear gripping at her chest as she watched the flames licked the windows and the walls, the smoke puffing out in never ending exhales, forming the most hideous of shapes in the air, mocking her. As she watched the cops pull up the tapes to block entrance and exit, she rushed forward, attempting to push past them, only to have someone pull her back.

Maggie.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maggie asked, stricken with disbelief and rage.

Kara pulled away from Maggie. "Lena's in there," she breathed, and then, without waiting for Maggie, ran in before anyone else could stop her.

At the moment, she had never been gladder that she was an Olympian, an immortal, because she would have choked on the smoke otherwise. The people had long since saved themselves, so it was barren, but it wouldn't be long until the firefighters came in and then she would be chased out again.

So she took off her glasses and ignited her powers, allowing her senses to pick up on any unusual auras around, letting her enhanced vision to see past the smoke and walls. Her sense of smell and hearing wouldn't be of much use, not with the smoke and the pounding of her heart. Almost instantly, she picked up on three distinctive auras from the north side of the building.

"Lena!" she yelled out, hoping to draw attention to her while she approached the direction from which the auras were emanated. "Alex!" Or she hoped it was them. For the next ten minutes, which felt more like an eternity, she just kept yelling for their names, floating through the doors and corridors to pinpoint the exact location of the celestial auras.

She was already in the kitchen of one of the restaurants and she still hadn't found anyone. Maybe her sensors were broken after a prolonged amount of time of being disused. Lord, she hoped not, at least not today.

Just when she was about to turn around and look elsewhere, a metal door at the end burst open, where her sister stood. "Kara!"

Kara almost sobbed in relief, but she didn't. She just rushed towards the door and slid it close behind them, hugging her sister tightly. "Oh, thank Olympus," she breathed.

And then she pulled away to look for Lena, only to see a wolf hunched against a wall with a tall woman stroking its fur as it panted. There was a gash running down its torso. She frowned at the wolf and the stranger, her mouth opening to ask the question, only to stop when she noticed the green eyes the wolf carried.

Her lungs seized. Her heart stumbled a few beats. Her brain short circuited. Her hands trembled. Her knees buckled by the wolf. Her arms pushed the stranger away slightly. Her palms gingerly placed themselves on the wolf's head and torso.

The wolf whined, both in pain and relief, almost like seeing Kara had been the only thing it was waiting.

No, not a wolf. This was so much more than a wolf.

A _hellhound_.

" _Lena_?"

The hellhound's lids promptly fluttered and then drew to a close.

* * *

 **ooooohhhhhhhhh...take your time to process, guys. i totally get it. also, i'm ignoring the last supergirl episode.**


	20. so i take my time

**so! lena's a hellhound. that's out of the way. but there's more questions, like who the fuck is the stranger? i'm pretty sure most of you have already guessed it, but if you haven't - this is it!**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Lena wasn't vulnerable to many things – believe her, she tried. Explosives? As long as they were not made of iron. Bullets? Same thing as explosives. Heights? She jumped from the top of Hades' castle for fun. Weight? She'd been carrying kilotons on her shoulders since she was young. Fire? Rather than suffered, she thrived in it.

When the beginnings of the flames began to find their way into the ballroom, she hadn't panicked or been afraid. First thing she did was push Lex out of the room, and then she went back to help others out. It may be sick, but the canine in her was leaping in joy at the idea of getting to bathe in the fire. And as soon as everyone was out of the room, she obliged.

She hadn't been able to go for a good romp since she showed up on the mortal realm. Plus, speed and strength came much more naturally in her animalistic form, and she would need those two to carry out her own search and rescue operation. Depending on the humans would be too late, judging by the speed the fires were spreading. A fire as fast as this could not be an accident.

She was bounding towards the exit when a familiar voice called for her name and the owner ran up to her. "Kara's missing," Alex gasped, her forearm pressed against her nose. Seemed like goddesses didn't do well under fire.

Lena would tease if it wasn't for the fear that seized her lungs immediately, just as the fire ought to do had she been human. She shook her body in a huffing move and jerked her head towards the exit, hoping Alex would understand her message. She'd do better if there wasn't a goddess gasping for breath following her every step of the way.

But of course, the redhead shook her head adamantly. "No, I'm coming with you." The goddess' eyes were wide, determination not the only thing in them. Fear and surprise. Of course, the fact that Alex knew what she was wasn't the same as her actually seeing it in person.

If she was still in human form, she'd roll her eyes. But instead, she opted for a less favorable option. It was an ability she shunned a lot and tried her best to avoid utilizing if possible. Most of the time, she had only used it with Cerberus to give him certainty that he could trust her and ensure smoother communication.

 _You're gonna choke to death before we even get to the third floor_ , she chastised.

Alex's eyes widened even further. "You can –"

 _I know you've never seen a hellhound before, but I'd appreciate it if you keep the shock until later_.

The woman swallowed her next words and nodded. _Fuck, that's a really beautiful hellhound_.

Lena huffed again and moved towards the exit, knowing that Alex wasn't leaving any time soon. _Thanks_. Alex sucked in a sharp breath, which was a bad decision on her part as she started coughing. _How can you be a goddess and cough at smoke?_

 _Because Olympians are not perfect_ , Alex grumbled in her head.

 _Let's hope you don't turn your lungs into steak at the end of this_.

She wanted so badly to shut off communication, because telepathic outreach worked both ways. If she could reach Alex's thoughts, it meant the other woman could read her thoughts as well. And Lena really liked her privacy. In addition, it was difficult to keep on the same brainwave as a fucking Olympian and search for a certain blonde journalist at the same time.

So, she could only hope that Alex was still trying to grasp the straws of this talking in each other's head thing and wouldn't be able to read her thoughts just yet. Maybe she would have time to shut off the tunnel before Alex would have a chance to venture deeper.

She honed in on her senses, which was easier because being in this form meant enhanced sight, smell, and hearing, and then started exploring. Every time she sensed a stranded mortal, she'd stay out of the way and directed Alex to get them out. No Kara meant no way of resting, and if that meant Alex wanted to keep choking on smoke, then that was her problem.

Just as they were about to make their way to the floor above, a strong aura stopped in her, causing Alex to almost bump into her. But she paid no mind, only watching the fire escape door as the presence drew nearer. This energy wasn't a pure and loud one like a typical Olympian, but the kind that she had grown up around – angry and understated, lingering under the surface and waiting to burst at any second.

And then the door pushed open, clouds of smoke billowing in to join the party and inhibit her vision. And before she knew it, sharp pain sliced through her torso and a yelp escaped her as she collapsed down the few steps she had climbed. The tumble had only done more to increase the pain tattooing into her side and she already knew that speed healing wouldn't do much in terms of stopping the blood.

"Lena!" Alex cried, kneeling down next to her and attempting to stem the wound by pressing her palm against the gash. Alas, not even a goddess' hand could cure the afflictions of iron.

 _Kara_.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Alex said, pressing down harder. Most of the time, Alex would look at her doubtfully and carefully. This time, it was all care and worry. "Hey, can you walk?"

 _Do I look like I can walk?_

"Okay," the goddess breathed, looking around in panic. "Okay, I'll carry you. You're a hellhound. Can't be that heavy, right?" She was more talking to herself than trying to talk to Lena, which Lena was more than happy to oblige.

The blood loss she was suffering was heavier than she had ever experienced. Not even that time she needed Diana to heal her had put her in quite this much pain. Of course, her wounds weren't inflicted by fatal weapons that time. This time, she was well aware that if they didn't bring her to a healer soon enough, death would probably really welcome her with doors wide open.

She echoed Alex's grunt when the jostling irritated her wound further and the other woman failed to lift her. "How are you _so heavy_?" Alex complained.

Lena sighed, closing her eyes. Her vision wasn't as good as before; she could barely make out Alex's features. _You should go_ , she prompted. _I'll be fine_. She'd be fine as a hellhound steak. She hoped Hades could make it in time to retrieve her body before the mortals could see her. She deserved at least a proper burial.

"Hey, no, listen to me." Alex was slapping the top of her head, a warning expression confronting her. "You are _not_ dying, okay? Kara won't allow it."

Damn it, Alex could still read her thoughts.

Before she could think of anything in retort, the door leading to the fire escape slammed open, revealing a pair of boot clad feet and nothing else she could see unless she lifted her head. And really, the floor was nice now – at least a good night of sleep. And then eventually, her vision went dark and she was at the whims of a goddess and something else yet to be identified.

* * *

She had to commend Kara though – the goddess had a presence powerful enough that it woke Lena up from her state of unconsciousness. Or maybe it was just Kara and she was naturally attuned to the woman.

Nevertheless, getting to see Kara looming over her, realization and affliction fighting for dominance on her expression, relief that she was okay won over concern that she had found out what Lena was. She heaved a sigh, blinking heavily to fight the sleep from taking over her again so she could look at Kara more.

" _Lena_?"

Panting in both pain and relief, Lena allowed herself to slump against the wall, slide down, and then promptly pass out.

* * *

The beeping was too loud. In addition to the constriction that almost felt suffocating around her lower torso, it was nothing short of annoying and painful when she finally woke up. And then she was confronted with an off-white ceiling, barely lit by a nightlight installed by the bedside. The smell that wafted into her nostrils was too chemical to be her room at her penthouse.

And then the beeping made sense to her. She was in a hospital – in her human form. Frowning, she lifted her hand to look at her nimble fingers and chipped nails – no doubt from the whole ordeal at the hotel. How did she turn back to this form in the first place?

"Lena." She turned slightly, suppressing a groan from the stiffness in her neck. Lex was staring at her, anticipating and glad, seated in a chair by the cardboard-like bed. Well, she supposed not even the most expensive room in a hospital could offer her foam bed. "Hey," he whispered gently, standing up with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

She blinked and opened her mouth. One inhalation of air and she already knew that there was no way she could talk. The back of her throat was coarse and dry; almost hurt to even swallow. Just because she was immune to fire didn't mean there were no consequences when she stayed too long in it. She closed her mouth and gestured at her throat with a grimace.

Her brother hurriedly went to the bedside table where there was a jug of water and poured a glass. And then he held it to her mouth with a straw perched against her lips. The liquid wasn't entirely effective, but the moisture certainly helped in alleviating the ache that had spread to the middle of her chest.

"I should get the doctor," Lex murmured. Before she could stop him, he was already running out the door.

"He's been really worried about you." Only then did she see Lana sitting at the couch, dressed in sweatpants and worn jersey, hair no doubt ruffled from sleep. "All of us were. But him and your friend, Kara, especially."

 _Kara_. She looked around. The room was dark, despite the blinds being open, only lit by the moonlight and the nightlight. A glance at the clock on the wall informed her that it was already ten minutes past midnight, well past a sane person's bedtime. Running her fingers through her severely tangled hair, she cast her gaze on her brother's girlfriend once more.

"Where is…?" she drifted off, her voice coming out hoarse and meek, not at all like the usual power that she liked to exude.

Lana offered a gentle smile as she pushed herself out of the couch and approached the bed. "Kara's been here every day since the fire. She only leaves when visiting hours are over and she has to go to work."

Lena's frown deepened. "Every day?"

"You've been asleep for three days, Lena."

Her eyes widened. Just when she was about to inquire further, the door opened, in strode a horde of people consisting of her brother, two doctors, and a male nurse. The doctor who seemed older and wiser approached her with a gentle smile, stethoscope at the ready, while the younger one – the intern, she assumed – stood behind with the nurse, attentively watching her and the doctor at the same time.

"Good evening, Miss Luthor," the doctor said. "I am Dr. Meredith Grey, your doctor."

Lena nodded dumbly. "Right."

"Good to see that you're awake. You've got quite a few people worried. Do you mind if I look over your wound and ask you a few questions?" Dr. Grey asked, coming nearer.

The raven haired woman would love to say no, but refusing would only raise suspicion. As a matter of fact, she wasn't sure if letting the doctor have a look over her wound would improve matters either, given that it would probably not be there anymore, given the efficiency of her healing proficiencies.

Nevertheless, she nodded and leaned back against the bed as the nurse adjusted the bed for her to sit properly. Lex and Lana were shooed out of the room by the intern. And then she watched as the physicians cut away the tightly bound bandage around her waist. Surprisingly, the wound was still there, though she could already see that it was well on its way of feeling no pain at all.

It would definitely scar. Well, the more the merrier, she supposed.

The doctor's frown was telling enough. And the intern didn't seem all the less perplexed. Lena was starting to wonder whose brilliant idea it was to send her to the hospital.

"Curious," the doctor muttered.

Lena hummed, shaking her head minutely. Not that curious.

* * *

The big elephant in the room – or canine, she supposed – couldn't be addressed, mainly because she was very confused by the additional presence of a complete stranger whom she knew nothing about and had never met in her life. After Lex's call to Kara, the whole posse had shown up the next evening, including Diana who had flown in on a redeye the day of the incident.

Lena stared at the tall drink of water standing at the door, appropriately uncomfortable and sheepish. And then she threw a confusing glance at her friends who were also staring at the stranger, like they were expecting her to explain her presence herself. Apparently, she had missed out on quite a bit in her coma, despite the fact that she could detect the demon's aura far before they had even entered the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Lena finally asked.

Alex snorted and offered nothing else. The demon just rolled her eyes, though not in an annoyed but rather a fond way. And here Lena thought Alex had a thing with the detective.

"My name's Samantha. You can call me Sam," the woman introduced herself, hands shoved into the back pockets of her slacks. "Mon-El's my cousin."

Lena blinked. And really, it probably wasn't appropriate to find this situation funny at all, but _come on_. Her lips curled into a mirthful grin, genuinely joyous, and an uninhibited laugh escaped, followed by a chain of giggles. Sam rolled her eyes again. Kara looked at her with a fond smile. Alex nodded with a smirk. Diana shook her head in impatience. Steve was simply bewildered.

She only sobered up when Kara began to look concerned at her prolonged cackles. Wiping at her eyes, Lena asked, "Mon-El's your _cousin_?"

Sam shrugged. "We all have a dumb one in the family," she proclaimed.

"I don't."

"Something definitely went wrong," Sam easily retorted.

"So what are you doing here? To spy on us? Were you the one who created that fire?"

Sam sighed, visibly frustrated and irritated. Maybe her peers had grilled her similarly while she was sleeping. "Nothing of the sort. I found out he's been hanging out with Lillian a lot, and I've heard a lot of bad things about Lillian – no offense."

"None taken."

"I started investigating, which didn't take much effort at all, since the dude has loose lips that become much looser when he's drunk. Pretty much told me everything. The Fates. Your mother. The bomb. And the fire. I was only there in time to find you almost passed out."

Lena shook her head, half amused and half annoyed. "Can't even do one thing right."

"His incapability kind of tilted in your favor though."

"Yes, I suppose. But that still doesn't explain why you're still here," Lena prompted, squinting at the demon. "You saved me. Thank you. Now, you can go."

Sam shook her head firmly. "I want to help you," she said.

"Trust me, you don't want to go against the Fates."

"No, I want to take down Mon-El." Lena frowned. Apart from herself, she didn't know anyone who truly hated the guy, instead of just finding him an eyesore. Sam clenched her jaw. "He was – we grew up together. I watched him do a lot of nasty things to a lot of people – demons or none. Almost pulled something on me." She tilted her head at Lena. "I would have warned you, but I didn't even know you existed until two days ago." It sounded almost accusatory. "I want to teach him a lesson. I want to take him down."

Lena maintained eye contact with the new person. Steering clear of other parties had always been her modus operandi down in the Underworld. It was just safer and easier. The only people she had socialized with were the souls she welcomed with Cerberus, and Jack Spheer was the only one she had truly established a sort-of connection with.

Well, Mon-El had gone and destroyed that connection before she had any chance of seeing it going anywhere.

She didn't take well with others, except for Kara, but the goddess was an exception she had no control in. Sam's determination in defeating Mon-El was apparent, admirable even, and Lena liked that. Anyone who hated Mon-El was naturally someone she'd associate herself with. But that was just it.

Sam was still just another innocent demon who just had a crappy hand in familial relations – something Lena could deeply relate to. Plus, Lena had sworn that she would keep the circle as small as possible, avoid as much collateral damage as possible, and one more person wasn't going to help her in that quest.

"No," she decided.

Kara made a knowing sound, turning to Sam. "I told you," she muttered, though not in a smug way, just resigned.

"I can –"

"Sam," Lena pronounced, as kindly as she could manage without giving the wrong idea. "Thank you for helping out at the fire. You seem like a nice person, which is why I can't have you involved. Too many people have been brought into the fold already. This is _my_ problem and I don't want to drag anyone else down with me when I don't have to."

"I can handle myself."

"I'm sure you can, but it's still a no. Please. Go home and forget about this. And I don't have to tell you to not tell anyone else about me."

The demon opened her mouth to spout out more retorts, but Alex moved to stop her with a hand on her arm. She muttered something to Sam, deliberately made inaudible to the other immortals in the room. And then Sam sighed and got out of the room, followed by Alex, leaving her alone with Kara, who had yet to say anything concrete, and Diana and Steve, who looked ready to bolt.

When Kara had entered her room, the lightness in her chest was undeniable. After all, the whole transformation back at the hotel was all because she was worried about Kara and it had overtaken her inhibitions. But apart from the relief that had filled her to the brim, there was also concern.

Granted, she had never tried hard to come up with scenarios of telling Kara about what she truly was. It wasn't something she wanted to come close to – scared would be the ideal descriptive word. But she would imagine that out of all the scenarios she could possibly think of, what happened three days ago wouldn't be one of them.

Kara had her eyes cast downwards, a frown imprinted at the bridge of her nose and her glasses slightly misplaced from it. Arms were crossed tightly over slow moving chest. Occasionally, there would be scuffs of loafers against the carpet, uncertain and puzzled.

"Can I speak with Kara alone, please?" she requested, not tearing her gaze away from the blonde who still hadn't gotten closer than at the end of the bed.

Diana and Steve dutifully filed out. She and Kara were officially the only ones alone in the hospital room, silence interrupted only by the beeping of the machine next to her. If she had listened closer, she'd be able to hear the murmurs of her peers outside and even the nurses at the nurse's station miles away.

But she didn't have time for anyone else right now. She hoped that Kara would keep the promise she made in Paris, but she also understood if Kara would find her true form too distasteful to stay. It would perhaps be better that way.

"After Cronus, Zeus declared an all-out massacre of hellhounds," Lena started, smiling bitterly when she had finally drawn Kara's eyes to her. "I don't know how, but my mother survived and got into an affair with my father, which was how I came to be." She crossed an arm to hold the other. "It is why Hades tries so hard to keep my presence under wraps."

Kara uncrossed her arms and fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. Lena could see that it was taking a lot for her to not break eye contact, recognizing the guilt in those blue eyes. "My father would have done more than kill you if he discovers you." Her voice was brittle and shaky.

"Hey." The hellhound ducked her head to find Kara's eyes. "It is not your fault."

The blonde clasped her hands over the back of her head, her face screwed up tightly. A desperate attempt to keep her emotions at bay. Her breathing was audible in its rapid destabilizing as her eyes darted everywhere except for the woman in the bed and her head shook voraciously.

"Hey, Kara," Lena pronounced, crawling out of the huddle of blanket she was engulfed in towards the end of the bed to hold Kara's arms with a firm grip. "Stop it," she prodded, moving a hand to the clasped ones among golden hair. "It's not your fault."

"He's my _father_ ," Kara whimpered.

"Doesn't mean it's your fault. You're _not_ him." She gently pried Kara's fingers loose and engulfed one fist with both of her hands, trying to ground Kara. "It is how it is and we can't do anything to change that."

The Olympian made a choking noise, returning the gesture of holding Lena's hands and leaning her forehead against their tangled fingers. Lena watched as Kara's shoulders shake, but there were no tears. Eventually, the other woman lifted her head with her features schooled in determination.

"I won't let him hurt you," she decided.

Lena smiled. "I believe you."

"I won't." Lena nodded. "And you…you can't do that again, you hear me? You had me so worried. You almost scared me to death. Next time, you escape and that is it. You can't risk your life for me again."

Lena tilted her head, narrowing her eyes with a smile. "You know that's not how this works, Kara."

Kara deflated in a second, resting her forehead against their tightly tangled fingers again. If she didn't want to let go, Lena certainly wasn't going to let go either. "At least I tried," the blonde muttered.

Lena allowed several seconds to pass between them before she asked, "So you're not…angry?"

In an instance, Kara lifted her head, alarmed and shocked. "Why would I be?"

The raven haired woman shrugged and glanced down at their hands. "Hellhounds. We're – even demons are afraid of us."

"Well, screw them." Lena looked up in surprise. "I know who you are, and I know I shouldn't be afraid of you unless I've done something terribly wrong. And as far as I'm concerned, I haven't done anything wrong yet. And I don't intend to." Kara tightened her grip. "I made a promise, Lena. And promises are unbreakable."

All Lena could do was stare at the Olympian in awe. And then she heaved a helpless chuckle, nodding. "Okay."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Okay."

"I'm staying right here."

"Okay."

"I will wait."

"Okay."

"I love you."

The hellhound jerked, but Kara's grip was so tight that she couldn't go anywhere. She blinked rapidly, wide eyed and unmoving as she gaped at the goddess who didn't seem unnerved by her admission at all. Like she hadn't just confessed her adoration for a demon _and_ a hellhound combined. Like it wasn't a big deal.

Kara nodded in response to Lena's unvoiced question. She moved closer to Lena, blocked only by the bars at the foot of the bed. Lena could only stare.

"Three days are a lot of days to think. I've thought about it. I've never felt so helpless than when you were in a coma and I couldn't do anything. I've never been so scared of losing someone than when I watched you pass out at the back of the hotel. I've never felt _so_ strongly about someone before. You make me – you motivate me so much. I used to just live it day by day. But now, with you, I found a purpose. And if that's not love, I don't know what it is." Kara stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing, "You don't have to say it back, but I just need you to know. I need you to know that there is one more person here who cares about you and loves you. So don't you _dare_ give up."

It took Lena a few minutes to process Kara's words. And then she realized something – something potentially drastically endangering, but something enlightening nonetheless. Kara loved her, and she believed in the woman completely.

She still wasn't ready, but she was also certain that she wouldn't be not ready for the rest of their journey together. One day, courage could be discovered, and Kara wouldn't be the one to help steer them further forward.

She could promise at least that.

So she said, "Okay."

* * *

 **LENA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!**

 **:-) you're welcome.**

 **oh, and if there's any chinese reading this, happy chinese new year! hope you get a lot of ang pows to tide you over the next two months at least!**


	21. the truth arrives

**one week late, and i don't know how else to explain it except for the semester starting and i have a lot to deal with. on top of being the vice president of the school paper, i'm also training to be a mental health ambassador and juggling work as a sophomore. so bear with me.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

It no longer surprised her to come home and find Alex somewhere in her house. Her sister might have decided to remain in the mortal realm for as long as this whole thing would take to resolve. However, she still had to stop herself from raising her hackles when she came home to see Sam there as well.

One hand on her chest, the other closed the door behind her. She knelt down to stroke Bench's hair as he had leapt over to welcome her home, and then made a beeline towards the two women settled on her couch, collapsing on the armchair instead and closing her eyes. It had been an exhausting day, but she knew that she would rest better tonight compared to the past three days.

Bad days were not strangers to her. She had her fair share of them. But the day she found Lena wounded and bleeding against the wall had to place top ten, if not the very top. She almost felt like she could pass out along with Lena, but Alex and the sight of a strange woman kneeling over Lena were enough to keep her upright.

Alex was there to calm her down, and the stranger – Sam, she later learned – was there to keep her alert. She remembered when Lena hadn't turned back to human form after she had gone unconscious. She had absolutely no idea what to do.

If they were in the Underworld, the ruler would have easily found a way to cure Lena. Hell, they could even be in Olympus, and Kara was sure that Persephone would find her own way. But Sam had immediately vetoed that idea, not caring that she literally had no relations to any of them whatsoever and claiming that Lena's disguise as a high-profile mortal would be thrown into chaos if they were to bring her to the immortal realm.

Questions would be raised. Suspicions would be awoken. The police force would probably put her back on the suspect list. It was too much of a risk.

"We need to wait for her to be weak enough."

"She _already_ is!" Kara had exclaimed at the demon, reining in the urge to punch who seemed to be the only person that knew how to deal with the whole situation.

And then Sam had glared at her, as if her status as a goddess, which far outranked demons, wasn't the least bit intimidating. "By all means, be louder," she had hissed. "Because everyone else needs to know that there is a _hellhound_ other than Cerberus in our midst." When Kara went quiet, she continued, "And I am pretty sure I know more about her kind than you, but this is more complicated than just that. She is a _hybrid_ , and that means she has to be weaker than she is right now to even be able to transform."

The fifteen minutes they spent watching the blood trickle out of the deep wound Lena was suffering felt like eons to Kara. If the sight of that gushing and hideous gash could create that kind of immense clench in her chest, she could not imagine what it was like to be the sufferer of that wound.

She wanted to take away the pain for Lena, but she was not a healer. So all she could do was gently lift Lena's head onto her lap and stroke the fur that had gone matted through the ordeal inside, further worsened by the clotting blood. Kara had to wonder what it was like to see Lena in all her majesty, without the chaos and the secrecy.

She was sure it would have been a sight to behold.

"I'm not leaving." Sam's voice pulled her out of her imagination of Lena in her hellhound form. That determined look on her face seemed to be a trend with all demons, given that Kara had seen that same expression on almost every demon she had encountered.

"I can't afford both of you," Kara said lazily, closing her eyes again. She was too tired for conversations beyond the shallowness of her previous sentiment. Not even the slap on her knee could get her to open her eyes.

"What Kara means is –"

"Lena means well," Kara voiced again, eyes remained closed. "She's hell bent on doing this herself. I can't explain to you how much I've had to convince her to let me help." A pause as she remembered the days that had seemed so far away now, when she first realized Lena was more than just a human and the amount of groveling she had to do. "I mean, sure, she's probably the smartest person I know and she should have seen that we really need you to get all we can get on Mon-El, but you have to give her a break. She just woke up from a coma."

"Because she was worried about you," Sam opined, matter-of-fact and not in any way teasing or displeased.

Kara clenched her jaw, her lids gradually lifting as the guilt returned. "She'll come around," she said instead of agreeing.

Bone tired and all, she had to fight a grunt as she sat upright. Her gaze locked onto Sam. At the way the demon appeared firm and unbending. At the way her sister's hand hadn't left her forearm. At the genuineness displayed on Sam's face, unwittingly determined.

She couldn't say that she entirely trusted Sam, and it was something that she still had to work on. From the moment Kara was born, elite grooming had conditioned her into an automatic distrust towards demons. No matter how much time she had spent in the Underworld, the system was still there.

Fully aware that it was an undeserving prejudice towards the unfair title her father had impressed upon her uncle's subjects, Kara was trying her very best to see past the childhood grooming to see the value of this demon. Plus, her sister was more adamant in her godly views than Kara was, so if Alex trusted Sam with this much certainty, Kara would follow in the redhead's steps.

For the past three days at least, Sam hadn't done anything but earn their trust – hers, Alex's, Diana's, and Steve's. She had told them everything she knew, and a brief check-in with Hades had confirmed the demon's story. And she was willing to offer help whenever she could. Not only so, her dedication to ensuring Lena's progress, despite the brief altercation they had at the back of the hotel, had done nothing but bolster Kara's confidence.

Still, Sam was an innocent in this whole increasingly ridiculous task. "She's also right, though. The Fates are not easy."

"I know," the demon replied. "I can't – I know that I'm a stranger to you and that makes you not entirely trust me. If there's any other way for me to prove that you can trust me, I'm more than willing to do it."

Kara nodded. She glanced down at Bench peacefully dozing off in her lap. "For now, you can stay here. Take the couch. Share the guest room with Alex. I don't care. Just – I seriously can't afford both of you," she grumbled, rolling her eyes at the two of them.

Sam offered a minute smile. "Don't worry. I'll do my part."

"Good, because at least someone's contributing."

"Hey!" Alex protested.

Kara stood up, cuddling Bench to her chest. "Goodnight," she called out as she headed towards her bedroom.

* * *

She had never been gladder that puff pieces were assigned to her lately. It meant that she didn't have to go out for interview – she only had to sit in her office and come up with the right wording for Snapper's approval. It also meant that she got to leave the office on time and head to the hospital first chance.

She had a feeling that Cat had something to do with it, but she decided to let it slide. After her meeting with Alura a few days ago, she had stayed well out of Cat's way, not ready for any confrontation that she was sure she could evoke as soon as she saw her boss. Right now, the fact that her mother had essentially assigned her a protective detail didn't matter. All that mattered was that Lena was healthy enough to fight the good fight and hopefully end her waiting.

Hopefully.

Once she was sure that Snapper wouldn't have any problems with her current draft, an email with it attached showed up in his inbox and Cat's most trusted journalist had bolted out without so much as a goodbye to anyone. The Uber came in less than five minutes, but she almost wanted to break into her powers and cancel it when it didn't come in the ten seconds she had ordered it.

Lex Luthor sitting outside Lena's room with two cups of most-likely shitty hospital coffee had stopped her in her track.

"Hey, Lex," she greeted. Their concern over Lena during her state of coma had essentially helped them in bonding, though not so much for her to call him a friend.

He smiled at her and handed one of the cups to her, which she took. And then he gestured for her to sit down next to him, which she did. They were quiet for a moment, sipping their coffee and making similarly disgusted faces at the bland taste.

"I really want to ask what you and my sister are hiding from me," he said, elbows braced on his knees and eyes seemingly locked on his loafers. Kara did everything she could not to react physically. "But I'm not going to, because I know that my sister trusts you and she needs more people that she can trust."

"Lex, what –"

"Kara," he pronounced, menially bemused but mostly irritated, which was apparent in the way his nose was scrunched up and his lips were pinched when he looked up at her, "I'm not an idiot."

No, no, he wasn't. And if she was going to afford Lena the unbreakable trust in her intellect – her overall character – then Lex deserved that as well, at least in terms of his smarts. After all, they were both Luthors and he wouldn't have been establish a thriving company like LexCorp at such a young human age if he wasn't at least half as smart as Lena.

Guilty was probably what she should feel. And to some extent, it was definitely there. But the selfish part in her, the part that had fallen in love with Lena Luthor so completely over such short a time, also acknowledged that he took it on himself to forget about everything in the first place and come to this realm, perhaps even the catalyst of all these trouble haunting Lena and her tails at the moment.

"Thank you," Lex said when their cups were half empty. She looked up at him, wary and confused. "Lena and I have been very codependent over the years. Our parents died early on." Kara reverted her gaze back to her feet, thinking about the last time she saw Lillian Luthor. "I was…twelve." The slight frown on his face was telling enough of his hazy memories, which occasionally came with the Lethe waters. "What do you do when you're twelve and you have a two year old baby sister who was the most adorable baby of them all?"

Kara blinked, an unavoidable smile tugging on her lips when she imagined a baby Lena. "I'm sure you had a guardian."

"Oh, Jessie was marvelous." Was? "We didn't have a lot of relatives. And when our parents died, somehow, our housekeeper managed to obtain custody of us. She made sure we ate, studied, and played as much as two children deserved too. But, you know, Lena was still _my_ little sister, my responsibility. And I thought it couldn't be easy, but damn, she had to be the most mature little sister to ever exist in this world."

Yes, no doubt. When one was born into a world where your identity would almost immediately grant you a death warrant, you had to grasp the ropes pretty quickly. There was secondary sorrow at the thought of Lena having to miss out on all the wiles of being a child just because she was born the presumably wrong breed.

"She took care of me as much as I took care of her. I made sure that she understood her schoolwork, brought her out to the zoo, taught her chest, et cetera. And she made sure that just because I'm her older brother doesn't mean I don't get to have my own fun too." Lex then laughed to himself. "You know, one time, I had an ex-girlfriend and well, she left hickeys on my neck. And Lena was, I think, thirteen, and she didn't know about hickeys then. She saw them and she brought out this rash cream and applied my entire neck in it. I didn't know whether I should be touched, ashamed, or tell her about it."

Despite the fact that they were in a hospital and that Lena was most likely still sleeping in the room in front of them, Kara burst out into loud guffaws. Lex joined her, though not as loud as her. They only shut up when a nurse shushed them while striding down the hallway.

"Oh god," Kara muttered, hand to her chest.

"I know," he agreed. Soberness eventually returned and he sighed. "I said thank you because all this time, we depended on each other and no one else, and to see her finally found a friend in someone else, it's something that I am really grateful for." He stood up, smiling at her with a tone of sadness. "I would love anything to help my sister, but I also know that my sister is nothing if not stubborn, so whatever it is, I hope you can help her solve it."

Kara could only nod and watch as he walked down the hallway. Back when Alex had approached her with the job, she was skeptical about Lex's character. But now, she could see that her father was entirely wrong about him.

At the thought of Zeus, she bent over and placed a fist against her forehead, all hints of hilarity from just now gone. While her mind was set on protecting Lena at all costs, she wasn't so stupid as to think that when this all came to a head, her father wouldn't find out about it. And really, he took his job as ruler of Olympus quite seriously, all things considered, so it would be as foolish to think that he wouldn't intervene upon finding out that the Fates had gone rogue.

Maybe by now, he had already found out what they had been up to after their disappearance. For a brief moment, she wondered if it would be worth it to pay him a visit and tell him everything without saying anything about Lena's true form. Lying wasn't her forte; she would have to ask Alex's help about it.

* * *

"You know we need Sam, right?" Diana said.

Lena sighed. "Diana, I just got out of the hospital."

"We can never be too careful," Kara opined from beside her, squeezing the woman's hand. "And she's right."

Diana hummed in agreement, pouring glasses of wine at the bar. Lex had sent her back home and then left at Lena's insistence in telling him to spend some time with his girlfriend before they went back to Metropolis, where surely there would be more work waiting for him and taking him away from being in the company of Lana.

Lena took a glass from the Amazon. "I don't know why you people keep encouraging me to involve more people in this. As if it's not bad enough that you can become collateral damage."

"Hey, I don't want to hear this kind of talk from you," Diana demanded before Kara could as she made herself comfortable in the armchair. "We are your friends and we will be here."

"And you just, what? Trust her that easily? She's a stranger."

"I used the lasso on her. She's telling the truth. And she knows more about Mon-El than any of us. She can get information from him easily." Diana shrugged. "Plus, I don't think I've ever seen Alex trust someone that quickly. That says something."

Lena hummed, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "You sure she wasn't thinking with her crotch?"

Kara blinked. "W – what?"

She watched as Lena and Diana shared a look and then Lena said, "Oh, honey." And yes, her chest did flutter as the term of endearment, but that wasn't the point. "I'm pretty sure the detective has become history at this point." When Kara remained silent in shock, Lena prompted, "Where is Alex right now?"

"She went to find an apartment with – _Oh_." Her eyes widened. And then her face twisted up into an expression of disgust, to the joy of her companions. "Oh jeez."

"But that is beside the point," Diana said. "Sam can help us."

Lena then shook her head in a sign of defeat. "Fine, I'll think about it."

"Okay, great. Now, you need rest. Like you said, you just got out of the hospital," Kara prodded, standing up and attempting to pull Lena up with her.

"You know I'm fine, right? I was only released today because that doctor wanted to monitor my healing abilities. I was pretty sure she's ready to pry me open just to research me," Lena said with disdain.

Kara clenched her jaw, tightening her grip on Lena's hand. "Will you please humor me?" she pleaded. At this point, she really didn't quite care about Lena's healing abilities. Her concern was still very much there and she _needed_ to see Lena getting some well-deserved sleep before she returned to work tomorrow, which Kara had inherently disagreed with.

Lena, as if understanding the deep-seeded worry and adoration that Kara was trying to portray, nodded after a moment. She and Diana said their goodbyes, ensuring that they would see each other soon, and then allowed herself to be tugged into her bedroom by Kara. The blonde waited by the window as the CEO changed in the bathroom, and then she proceeded to tuck Lena into bed, like the woman wouldn't get in if she didn't do it, which Kara really wouldn't put it past her.

Once she was sure that every corner of the blanket was covering Lena, she sat down on a chair by the bed, running her fingers through her hair. "Want a bedtime story?" she teased.

Lena laughed. "You being here is enough."

Kara smiled, nodding at the woman, their hands still entangled. "I'll be here," she whispered.

"It's not your fault," Lena commented. Kara frowned slightly. "I'm sure if it was the other way around, you would have stayed to look for me as well."

"You're right," Kara adhered reluctantly. "But I promise you, I won't let that happen again."

Lena hummed. "Not your decision."

"You're so incorrigible," Kara huffed.

"You love it."

Kara went soft. She leaned forward and brought Lena's hand to her lips, laying a long kiss to the skin. "I love _you_."

* * *

She stayed with Lena until the woman had fallen asleep and then some. A peaceful Lena was hard to come by, and she would take all she could get. Besides, Lena awake was already startling enough in her beauty – all serene and ethereal and oozing power without effort – and Lena asleep? Kara just couldn't peel her eyes away.

It was just the way those slight wrinkles that never seemed to leave the bridge of Lena's nose went away, her lips lost the frown, and the set of her chin relaxed. The youthfulness to it made Kara wonder what the woman's teenage years had been like, if she had looked like this at all – if she ever had the opportunity to look like this.

She only departed when she realized that this bordered on stalker tendencies, but she didn't forget to leave a note to remind Lena that just because she was out of the hospital didn't mean she could return to being reckless. And when she went back home, she wanted to go back to Lena's penthouse, where there were no Olympians waiting for her, let alone cousins.

In addition to Kal being there, the expression on his face was telling of the bad news he was bearing. Her sister and Sam were nowhere in sight. She tried not to think about what they were up to.

"I don't –"

"It's about your father," he cut in.

Kara clenched her jaw while glaring at Kal. "I'm sure it can wait," she retorted.

He shook his head, a sardonic smile crossing his lips. "It really can't," he said helplessly. "One of the Fates showed up. Lachesis."

She stared at him for a long while and then stalked towards him in long strides, careful to maneuver away from an eager Bench. "What did you say?" she muttered. He stared at her, knowing that she heard him and not wanting to repeat himself. "You said they went off the radar."

"They did. Lachesis showed up at the palace and then went back into hiding. We still don't know where they are," he explained. "I didn't see her, but your father went into panic and called on my father and our uncle. The things she told him terrified him."

Lachesis, the allotter, the drawer of lots, responsible for the measurement of the thread of life assigned to each mortal and sometimes, immortal. She was perhaps the least dangerous of all three sisters, and yet she was still highly volatile. It made sense for them to send her in their decision to announce their state of living.

"What did she tell him?" she asked.

He took a deep breath and she was surprised by the transparent fear gripping his motions – hands that couldn't stay still, unsteady breathing, and sweat dotting his brows. "She basically announced a coup on him. Saying that something terrible is coming. Grooming a force that not even he can defeat. Ensuring that his reign of dictatorship will surely be over." He paused to wait for it to dawn on Kara. "Kara, I don't think this is about hurting you or Lena at all."

"Lena just got out of the _hospital_ ," Kara snapped. "You call that not hurting?"

"I heard about that. How is she?"

She sat down on the armchair, fingers curled around her temples as she attempted to fathom the new information and connect the dots. "About as well as a demon can be. Speed healing and all that." She shook her head. "Do you know what she is?"

He shook his head. "I told you: I don't." She closed her eyes, unable to erase the image of the hellhound that she had witnessed – supposedly strong, but had become so weak because of her. "Do you?" he asked eventually, careful.

She looked at him but didn't give him an answer. Still, they had spent much of their childhood together, so he would have known what her non-answer meant. Instead of being jealous and undignified, he just nodded in acceptance, though still a little curious.

"So I assume that Hades' fear for her safety is justified." She inclined her head in a motion of confirmation. "Zeus is on a manhunt, Kara. He just asked Hades to deploy demons to sniff out the Fates yesterday."

She frowned. "Why the demons?"

"He said because Hades had his demons under a better control, but I think we all know it's because he didn't want to sacrifice Olympian lives. Yet."

Kara scoffed. Typical.

"Lachesis also said something that might sound reassuring to you," Lex said. "She said that while they were responsible for the production and measurement of immortal threads, they have never _directly_ played with immortal lives before."

Unable to help herself, Kara breathed a sigh of relief. That heavy weight that had been sitting on her shoulders – perhaps Lena felt it as well – disappeared by a significant portion.

"This means that you and Lena meeting might actually be a coincidence," he clarified, speaking out her thoughts.

She shook her head. "They may still had something to do with it. Indirectly," she pointed out.

He nodded. "I don't deny that. After all, she did say the whole thing about planning a coup and grooming a force."

And it was just like that, with the disappearance of the weight, that the light bulb finally lit up in her head. She straightened, a new set of horror starting in on her entire body as the thought slowly sank in. Slowly, her horrified gaze turned towards her cousin's.

"This is not about hurting me or Lena at all," she whispered, each syllable coming out in precise cutting, like she was still unable to grasp the whole concept. "It's about using me and Lena as the frontier of the coup."

* * *

 **oh shiiiiiiiiit**

 **a lot of stuff happening, a lot of stuff to polish before publishing as well, be patient and stay tuned!**


	22. a string of flesh attached us

**okay, so i received a complaint in the last chapter about it all being anticlimactic and inaccurate, what with lena being a hellhound and all that. and i just want to say this: it's a story. it's greek mythology. for all we know, nothing about it is real. it's all fictional. i took the liberty to incorporate my creativity into it, inserting my own headcanons to create a legible fic. i'm sorry if you think that it's not your taste, but all greek myth stories have their own little twists, and this is mine.**

 **now, to everyone else, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

It would be unbelievable if it wasn't all that believable. Of course, this would happen. Of course, the iron that had wounded her wasn't accidental. Of course, the Air Maker would be stolen. And of course, _of course_ , Maggie Sawyer was back on her ass again.

"You are like a magnet for trouble," the detective commented before Lena could even take a step back into her office.

"I'm really not in the mood, detective," Lena barked, stalking towards her desk.

Lex closely followed her, head down in a motion of being fairly chastised. She would let him stay that way. He deserved it for keeping the truth from her, barring the reason for his omission was his concern for her health and unwillingness to put stress on her as soon as he had woken up. It didn't matter. He still should have told her.

It was _her_ creation and she _deserved_ to know. She chanced a glare at him as she sat behind her desk, only glancing at the detective before booting up her desktop and laptop. There were much urgent issues to deal with than a detective who didn't understand her absolute reluctance to involve her any further into the matter.

These people just never seemed to be able to grasp that it was for their own good.

"You do know I can't let _this_ one go, right?" Maggie commented. When Lena looked at her, the woman had the audacity to smirk. Oh, how Lena wished that Maggie understood the gravity of the situation and she was in no way capable of handling it. "It's arson, and once again, you are the center-point of it all."

Lena closed her eyes, shaking her head to herself. "Detective, I just got out of the hospital and I've just learned that my prototype has been stolen. Pardon me for not being able to cater to you like a guilty person would, because, surprise, I am not. Of whatever charges you and your colleagues may have laid out against me," she added.

"I never said you are." The CEO narrowed her eyes. "Miss Luthor, Lena," Maggie corrected, soft and certain, "I still believe in your innocence. And if anything, your injury has proven more than enough that you are innocent to my colleagues."

Lex hummed from his perch on the couch. "Good to know it takes my sister _hurting_ to get the uniformed people off her back."

Even though she was still angry at her brother, she was grateful that he had spoken the words that were just on the tip of her tongue. Lena straightened in her chair, no longer facing her computers to offer the detective her full attention. She nodded at Maggie to keep going.

"Any clue who might have wanted to set you on fire and steal the device?" Maggie asked.

Oh, Lena didn't know. Take a pick. The Fates. Zeus. Lillian. Mon-El.

The options seemed endless, and she had spent the few days since she had been awake going over the choices. And honestly, all of them seemed plausible, especially when five of them were working together. Those thoughts didn't make themselves known on her expression that had stayed curious and unknown.

"No."

Lex lifted his head from the hand it was perched on to look at her with a frown. Maggie raised her brows, obviously skeptical. Lena couldn't blame her. After all, this wouldn't be the first time Lena had lied to her. Though curiously enough, the detective hadn't made any move to arrest her for obstruction of justice.

"Did you see who hurt you?" Maggie proceeded.

Heaving a ludicrous laugh, Lena said, "The fire wasn't very kind to my vision, Maggie." Plus, she was all too worried about Kara to care about anything else. Admittedly, it was a mistake on her part, but at least Kara was safe.

The detective, probably having known of Lena's habits of omission and provision of information only when necessary, only smiled sardonically and stood up. Lena wondered at how far Maggie had to go to prevent the rest of NCPD from storming her door and clubbing her for being so uncooperative.

"Well then, if there's anything –"

"I will let you know," Lena said.

Maggie hummed, both of them knowing that the statement wasn't entirely true. "I'll see myself out."

As soon as the detective was out the door, Lena turned to her desktop and launched the tracking program. Ignoring her brother who had stood up from the couch and walked over behind her, she keyed in the serial number that she had imprinted deep into her brain and watched as the tracking system did its work.

The tracking device was one of the first things she had thought to install when they reached the precautionary stage; Kara's words during their first ever press conference ringing in her head. And now, as the progress bar efficiently swiped across the blank space, she couldn't be more thankful that Kara always took the best human interests in consideration.

"Why did you lie to the detective?" Lex asked, mildly alarmed but mostly impressed.

"Why did you lie to me?"

He huffed. "I did not lie to you."

"You know how important this is for me," Lena snapped, speedily swiveling her chair around to face him. "If I were ever to call anything my first child, it'd be the Air Maker. Why would you ever think to keep this from me?"

"Lena, I didn't want you to overexert yourself. I knew that once I had told you, you'd probably discharge yourself to look for it. I'm sorry if my concern over my little sister trumps a non-living thing!" he argued.

"It could _hurt_ people!"

"You are the most cautious person I know! Do you honestly believe I would have left it alone for so long if I hadn't known that you had already booby trapped the thing?" He groaned and brushed a hand over his bald head, using the other one to gesture at the desktop screen that was still running the system. "Do you see my point?"

"Your point is careless," she replied curtly, spinning back around as the system made a noise of confirmation.

"My point is –" He released another impatient groan. "What is careless is you _lying_ to an _officer of the law_. What the hell was that? You clearly could have given her this information! She could have helped you!"

She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm her erratically beating heart. She wanted nothing more than to tell her brother everything. But honestly, if it wasn't for him, they wouldn't be in this mess in the first fucking place.

Still, there was no doubt that at this point, he already knew that something was going on. The only thing she could do was delay this as long as possible. It was possible that they might have to trigger his memories in order to have him understand the utter seriousness of the situation, but she would do everything she could to delay it – or better yet, made sure it never happened.

Lana Lang made him happy. She didn't understand that in the beginning. How could she when she had never truly experienced what it was like to be so besotted with someone? But Kara's appearance in her life had changed everything, shifted all understandable trajectories, created tectonic deviations that she couldn't even begin to comprehend herself.

If there was one thing to learn from her burgeoning relationship with Kara Danvers, it was that Lex's happiness with Lana was rare. And as much as she wanted to club Lex over his shiny balding head right now, her love for her brother transcended all else.

"There are things that you do not understand," Lena gritted between her teeth as she grabbed a stack of post-its and wrote down the coordinates.

"What have you gotten yourself into? First there was the explosion, and now this," he whispered fearfully. When she stood up, he was fixating her with a frightful stare, not unlike the face he had carried when she had just woke up. "Lena, let me help you."

She took a long look of her brother's face. Lex was ten years older than she was, but he had never allowed that age gap to bring them apart. The age difference was obvious from the frown lines that had etched into the skin at the corners of his eyes and the wrinkles left from laughter tugging at the edges of his lips.

Lena would always be grateful to Lex for giving her the familial support that she had needed to grow up. If she could give him anything in return, it was this.

"Go home, Lex," she implored, touching his cheek gently.

"No. Lena, don't you walk away from me."

His protest fell to unhearing ears as she strode out of the room.

* * *

"I swear, Lena, I didn't know."

Lena nodded as she strapped herself in, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes when she saw Alex and Sam in the backseat. "I know, Kara," she offered. "But it's gone now and we need to find it." She waved the paper in the air before handing it over to the blonde. "Coordinates. I hope you're a safe driver."

The redhead behind scoffed. "I keep telling her to let me drive," she complained.

Kara made a disgruntled noise, though it didn't distract her from inputting the coordinates into the vehicle's GPS. "I've been a human longer than you have."

"And yet every time you manage to almost or actually get us into an accident!"

"Shut up."

Kara shifted the gears and started driving. Within the first ten minutes, Lena knew that a car would not be a good gift for neither the driver nor her brother. Still, they managed to get out of the city roads and into the freeway in less than twenty minutes. Recklessness did pay off occasionally.

"Did Maggie not mention anything about this when she talked to you?" she asked.

Alex jolted slightly, not unnoticed by Sam. She blinked a few times. "Maggie?"

Lena nodded. She didn't have time to ponder on the dynamics between Alex and Sam and Alex and Maggie at the moment. "She came to my office this morning. Asked me if I know anything about the Air Maker. Of course, I didn't say anything. I couldn't." She shook her head, thinking about her brother's reaction to her lie. "I hate lying," she whispered.

A hand appeared in her line of vision and landed on her knee, squeezing reassuringly. She looked to Kara. "It'll be over soon," Kara comforted.

"Will it? Because I feel like everything is getting more and more complicated," Lena said.

When Kara stiffened, her eyes narrowed. It wasn't in a way like she was hiding something from them, but that which she just remembered something. The blonde retracted her hand and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, biting her lower lip as she seemed to be thinking a million thoughts a minute.

And then the car almost swerved right into a road signage announcing their official departure of National City borders if not for Sam's warning yelp.

"Kara!" Alex called out.

Lena's eyes were wide as they bore holes into the side of Kara's head. What could be so worrying that she almost drove them into one of those apparently infamous accidents Alex was talking about? Slowly, she extended a hand to lie on Kara's arm, to which the woman responded with a minute glance before turning back to the road.

"I need to tell you guys something." A short exhalation – almost like a puff. A lifting and lowering of shoulders – preparation. A deep gulp – anxiousness. "Kal came to see me last night." Alex straightened in her seat, moving away from Sam, while the demon remained perplexed. "He told me that Lachesis showed up."

A chill slithered up her bones, digging its way down to her muscle, infusing with her blood, freezing her in place like rusted out machinery. It wasn't that moving wasn't an option; it was that the only selection in place was to _stay_ in place.

After finding out the Fates' involvement, Lena had wanted nothing more than to meet them in person as soon as possible and get it over with. And yet, here and now, even without meeting one of them, it was confirmed that they weren't rotting away somewhere. They were very much alive and one of them had even showed up to Zeus. Lena was terrified.

She listened to Kara continue her story, describing everything Kal had told her and then drawing to a close with a highly logical and yet unfathomable conclusion. Her clear-cut vision had eventually dimmed with vignettes, almost like a photo edit, except there was no focus. It was either blurry or dark.

She jumped when a hand clapped onto her shoulder. Her vision cleared. Kara had pulled over to the side of the road, even though she was pretty sure it was illegal. She was watching her with immense concern, like she was afraid to touch her in fear that she would leap away. But the hand on her shoulder didn't belong to the blonde. It was Sam.

"I have to –"

She took several deep swallows, blinking rapidly.

Suddenly, the car they were sitting in felt more like an entrapment than a transport. She could hear the amplified noise of the heater humming, the beating of each and every one of their hearts, and the sounds of the occasional cars zooming past. She could smell the cushion of the car, the air freshener that hung over the slats of the air cooling system, and the sweat that she could feel gathering on her palms.

Her hand scrambled for the door handle and pushed it open. As soon as it was open and she could feel the cold air of autumn coming hitting her skin, she flung her body out of the closed space, barely able to catch her footing. And then she started pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. A neat and almost rehearsed pattern along the grass blades. The heels of her boots dug into the soil with little to no resistance.

Vaguely, like the car was very far away from her, a car door was tugged open and slammed closed. She paid it no mind. Pacing was a really nice thing to do right now. It was the only thing that kept her from transforming and bounding away to someplace really, really, _really_ far away from here.

Someone materialized a few yards from her, not touching her or approaching any closer, and she was all the more grateful for the space given to her. Enough to pace.

"What do you need?" A new voice pierced into her ears, joining the multitude of noises imploding her senses.

She looked up and made out Sam's features amidst her hazy vision. And then she looked back down to her boots. Kept on pacing.

"Hey, Lena," Sam prompted again. When Lena returned eye contact, she went on, "Just tell me what you need."

Her hands trembled when she pulled them out of her coat pockets, hovering in the air, uncertain of what to do with them.

"Do you need to sit?" Lena shook her head. "You wanna keep walking?" She nodded. "Okay, just keep doing that then." It wasn't much; it was still permission. "Do you need me to talk? I can talk. Whatever you want to talk about, really. Just tell me what you need, okay? Because we're stuck here in the middle of the freeway and I'm pretty sure that is not allowed. Do whatever you need, tell me what you need, and then we can get the hell out of here."

"A fucking coup," she breathed, almost wheezed. A disbelieving laugh escaped her lips, expanding her chest and allowing her heart more space to pound. "Can you believe them? Using _me_ for a coup! I'm just a –"

"We both know you're not _just_ anything," Sam said, raising her brows when Lena threw her a glare. "Your mother was a hellhound during the Titans age. Cerberus is a piece of cake compared to her, and you have her blood. And to add to that, your father is a demon. That's some pretty incredible genetics."

"I _never_ asked for this!" Lena raised her voice, finally stopping her tracks to face the demon.

"Nobody asked for the environment they're born into. I never asked to be born into a family of fascists and idiots. Alex never asked to be born as an Olympian. Kara never asked to be born as a child of Zeus. But these are the hands we've been dealt with, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"I tried to kill myself." To her credit, there was no surprise on Sam's face. "Yeah, so many times. Do you have any idea what it's like to live like me? The secrecy. The hiding. These powers I have that I can't use and absolutely _hate_. The idea that I can easily kill _any one_ of you. All because my father was an asshole and my mother was self-destructive."

Sam, upon realizing that Lena wasn't moving anymore, stepped forward. She offered a sympathetic smile. "I can't pretend to understand what you have been through," she began. "I just met you like a couple of days ago and basically forced my way into this little party you have. But I do know this: sometimes, the only thing you can do is make the best of what you have. And it's probably sick, but the fact that they think you're powerful enough for a coup is pretty fucking incredible."

Unable to help herself, Lena laughed, her voice shaking as she did it. "It _is_ sick."

"But you gotta admit…"

"Yeah, it's pretty fucking incredible," she acquiesced.

"See?"

Lena shook her head, a small smile crossing her features. Surprisingly, that little outburst and not-so discussion had succeeded in calming her down. It was still scary, no doubt, but enough of her composure had returned to be able to push forth. Awkwardly, she patted Sam on the arm a couple of times before shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"You're not so bad," she offered.

"So I keep telling everyone." They were quiet for a moment. No more noises in Lena's head, except for the humming of the car and Sam's breathing. "I meant what I said. I really want to help. Call it sick pride in getting to take my cousin down. Call it the justice warrior in me for wanting to see you have a good life from now on. Whatever. I want to help."

Lena turned slightly to look at the mismatched team she had somehow gathered. Too many people. "It's very dangerous."

"Lena," Sam scoffed, "I'm a _demon_."

"Good point."

"Wait, is this you letting me help?"

"It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice."

For some reason, Sam seemed immensely delighted at the idea that she was allowed to send her life to the death zone. "Thank you."

The raven haired woman sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Thank you too, I guess."

Sam laughed. She had the audacity to wrap an arm around Lena and tug her in, pulling her face into her shoulder. "Us demons, we gotta stick together."

* * *

Turned out the Air Maker was in Gateway City, if the GPS system was accurate. The irony of it all wasn't lost on Lena as they drove past the borders of the city. This city was, after all, home to the largest Greek artifact collection outside of Greece. It came to no surprise that with the Fates, her mother, and Mon-El, they would be led here.

She supposed Gateway City would become an inevitable throughout the unraveling of this situation they had found themselves in.

Kara and Alex did not say anything of significance since she and Sam had gotten back into the car, aside from a few directional comments and uncomfortable noises from being in the car too long. But sitting next to the blonde, Lena could sense the tension coming off from her in waves, agitation and impatience. Lena let them be, knowing that a talk would come after they located the Air Maker.

"Diana lived here once," Kara muttered.

"Did she?" Lena asked, genuinely surprised. She didn't know about that. But how could she when they had spent so long with no contact?

Kara nodded. "Louvre sent her here after archeologists dug up a lot of items that belong to our history. She was here for around two years to look them over. We never did try to reclaim the objects. Don't really mean much of anything to us like they do to the mortals."

"Were you here then?"

"Yeah. I used to come down here every once in awhile to hang out with her." And that was that. Kara didn't offer much else.

When they finally made it to the city center and the GPS announced that they were fifteen minutes away from their destination, Alex leaned forward and asked, "Any idea on who might have taken it?"

Lena shrugged, rolling her eyes slightly. "Really can't think of anyone but my stepmother."

"That woman really has it out for you, huh?"

"I've met her a couple of times," Sam said with a grimace. "Not my favorite person."

"You wouldn't be here if she is."

They soon entered a derelict neighborhood. Apartment buildings appeared as if they were going to collapse at any second on rotting pillars. Landed houses were homes to sprouting grasses and barren porches. A couple of stray cats and dogs meandered every few seconds. There was a rundown playground, where rust gathered on the metal and the plastic of the playthings melted into misshaped objects.

She narrowed her eyes. As far as she could tell, this really didn't seem like the place Lillian would ever deign herself to even step foot in. Whatever it was, either Lena was wrong or there must be something really significant about it.

"I wouldn't want to be here if I'm human," Alex murmured.

Kara hummed in agreement. Lena and Sam stayed quiet. There were places like this in the Underworld, located in Tartarus, serving as temporary residences to the souls until their next loop of torture. They could hold their own in a neighborhood like this.

Soon, the GPS announced that they had reached their destination, and Kara pulled up to a more decent looking landed house compared to the others. It didn't look lived in, but at least the front door was intact and the windows were equipped. Immediately, Lena could feel the senses in her tingle – demons were definitely in there.

"You feel that?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Lena and Sam said at the same time.

Kara looked at them curiously. She was still stubborn on not turning on her powers unless necessary.

The hellhound gave the house a long and apprehensive look. And then she pulled open the door. "Let's go."

Each one of them got out of the car, paying no mind to shutting the doors quietly. Lillian would most certainly sense their presence already. The planks that made up the steps creaked dangerously as they stepped onto the porch. And then Lena raised her fist to knock on the door three times.

It was quiet for a long while, so much so that they started throwing each other suspicious glances, all asking the same question of whether they had the right place. Lena was just going to pull out her phone to check when footsteps echoed from the other side of the door. She recognized the pattern immediately, her suspicions further reaffirmed once the door opened to reveal the person behind the door.

"Ah, Lena." Lillian didn't seem surprised at her appearance. Instead, she was carrying a proud smile on her face. Lena couldn't fathom why.

"Where is it?" Lena asked, bypassing all manners of courtesy.

"I would think Persephone would have at least taught a little bit of manners."

Lena rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, mother. Where is the Air Maker? Why did you steal it?"

"I needed it, of course."

"I can't imagine what it has to do with the coup you are planning against Zeus." For the first time, Lillian showed an expression of surprise. "Didn't expect me to know, did you?"

Her stepmother quickly composed herself, making a dismissive noise. "I was planning on telling you later anyway." She stepped aside, an obvious gesture for them to enter. Lena didn't hesitate with the knowledge that she alone could defeat them if she needed to. The others followed her lead. "You took your time coming here."

"I'll be honest. I am surprised. I thought this had something to do with Lex, but no, your ambitions got the better of you," Lena offered, casting a cursory glance around her. Her stepmother hadn't made any effort to better the place, judging by the peeling paint and grimy floor and the lack of comfortable furniture.

"Hey, Lena." Her eyes snapped towards to the arch that led to the kitchen, where Mon-El was standing with his arms crossed and a smirk over his face. "How's the wound?"

She frowned, eyes wide as she stared at him.

He knew.

And then a second later, Kara was lunging from behind her, knocking into her shoulder in the process to topple him over and straddling him. The suppressed Olympian aura was released into full force as the blonde grabbed fistfuls of shirt, lifted his head, and then slammed him down to the hardwood floor. There was a crack on the wall that he was previously leaning against.

"You piece of shit," Kara growled, lifting and slamming him back down again like he was a ragdoll. "I'm gonna kill you."

"Kara, Kara, hey!" Alex hurried forward to grab her sister before she could do more damage.

"No!" The blonde shrugged her sister off. She lowered her head to meet Mon-El's terrified eyes. "How dare you –"

"Kara!" Lena pushed aside the enjoyment at getting to watch someone teach him a lesson. When Kara turned back to her, Mon-El's shirt still fisted in her hands, Lena said, "Don't. Not now."

"Lena," Kara complained.

"It won't do any good."

Kara huffed and groaned at the same time. She looked back to Mon-El, leaning down again and whispering menacingly, "That doesn't mean I won't still kill you." And then she pushed away from him violently, causing a thump as his head knocked against the floor once more, as she stood up to move back to Lena.

"I can't believe you told him," Lena said, shaking her head at her stepmother.

Lillian, not at all moved by the commotion that had transpired, denied it. "I didn't. He saw it when he was there. I didn't mean for you to get hurt in the process."

Lena scoffed. "Please."

"I am doing this for you."

"Save me from the act, mother," Lena said with a wave of her hand. "Now give me back the Air Maker."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. It's not here. I put it away." Lena frowned. "I know science too, Lena. I've learned to replicate digits and electronic signs. That's how I got you here."

"What do you want from me?"

"Join me."

The CEO snorted. "You're ridiculous."

"Zeus is a good for nothing man who calls himself a god because he killed his own father," Lillian said, vein popping on her forehead. "What good will it do to let him live?"

"I will not riot against the ruler of Olympus."

Lillian narrowed her eyes and then found Kara behind Lena. The confusion soon disappeared, replaced by disgust. "Is it because of her? Because you've gotten weak and fallen for an Olympian?" Lena opened her mouth but her stepmother pushed on. "Nothing good will come of it, Lena. She is a goddess. You are a demon. It won't end well."

"It's not because of her," Lena snapped, keen to not look at Kara. "And why are you so against it anyway? You wanted us to meet."

"I did not expect for you to develop feelings for her," Lillian sneered.

"Where is the Air Maker?"

"Lena, join me. We could do great things together. Your power is immeasurable. With you here, we can take over the entire Olympus and change it for the better," Lillian said, smiling in an oddly motherly way – it did not suit her at all.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to pry it from her mother today. "We're done here." She bee-lined for the door, no longer having the patience to deal with the woman.

"Lena!"

She opened the door, waited for her friends to walk out, and faced Lillian. "All I want is a peaceful life. I want to spend time with Cerberus, play chess with Persephone, and take walks with Hades. I want to have fun with my brother. But you have taken that away, mother. You've involved me in a coup that I never wanted to be the forefront of. And I swear to you, mother, I will do everything in my power to stop you, even if it's at my life's expense."

"I'm doing this because I want to save your life!"

For once, Lillian seemed sincere. There was honesty and desperation in her stepmother's eyes, and disturbingly, her voice resonated with love and concern. And then Lena realized that Lillian was speaking the truth. It sickened her.

"This is not how you show a child that you love her, mother," she whispered, shaking her head, her eyes shimmering with tears. "It's not."

* * *

 **lillian has a sick way of showing her love, huh?**

 **okay, so everything is slowly coming to a conclusion. i imagine there'd be two or three more chapters, or maybe even more, i'm not too sure. but i'm seeing it all now, and i'll try to deliver an end in less than ten chapters. thanks for staying with me throughout these 20+ chapters!**


	23. juggle lightning and taste the thunder

**before you blow up on me for being one month late, let me just remind you that i'm currently majoring in international studies and minoring in writing; that means assignment and quizzes and assignment and quizzes. trust me, i feel guilty enough as it is that i don't even want to promise anything anymore. you will have an update when i have time to write 3,000 - 5,000 words for each chapter.**

 **now, this whole chapter is lena's confrontation with zeus and a lot of reveals. and i promise in this chapter, everything is out in the open. no more surprises. no more shockers. after this chapter, the true battle of wits and perhaps even wills begin.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy.**

* * *

Lena was good at math. She excelled at it. If Hades and Persephone ever decide to hold mathematics competition in the Underworld, there was more than a hundred per cent chance that she would be the natural victor.

She had always been proud of her skills at math. Hades had always sought her help whenever he had trouble trying to calculate something or other. She never failed at beating her brother for every one of their impromptu lame math competition. Plus, when heading a newly launched company branch in an entirely new city, those math skills really came to good use – practical and pragmatic.

But for the first time, while lying in bed and fooling Kara into thinking that she had exhausted herself into a nap, Lena had never hated her ability to anticipate and calculate possibilities and probabilities with varieties of equations that not even the most renowned mathematician on earth could fathom more. The best way to play chess was with math, probabilities always came into the picture and that was how she always won with Lex. So there she lied, eyes closed, brain swirling with pluses and minuses and divisions and multiplications and outcomes.

None of those came out satisfying. None of those came out in her favor. The only step she took that even came out marginally favorable was if she got up and find her way to Olympus, a place she had avoided her whole life. There were certainly scenarios where she came out alive but at heavy cost – and her life certainly wasn't worth that much.

As she sneaked past Alex and Sam and conjured a portal, she carried only one regret. She should not have waited. She should not have extended her arm and kept everyone on the other side, especially Kara. She should not have made Kara wait. She should not have waited herself.

She should have just kissed Kara.

All those missed opportunities because of her cowardice, and now with this one act of bravery, high chance was that she would not be able to do that at all. Was it even bravery? Could she call it courage if she was only here so that she wouldn't have to face more obstacles that would become harder to solve? Would her eventual death be a worthy one if it was only because she was afraid of losing more?

She saw no other options. Her mother was intent on honing the darkness in her and put it to potential destruction of the universe as they knew it. It was a darkness that Lena recognized, knew existed in her, because more than once, she had, more than once, almost let it spill out and take her over.

Almost tormented her mother. Almost killed Mon-El. Almost gave up on the noble cause that Hades had set her on. Almost took the crooked pavement that Hades had tried to steer her away from. Almost gave in to her mother's wish and joined her.

Lena disgusted herself.

Two guards were posted outside the palace gate when she finally arrived to the intimidating structure. It wasn't even a building. A building was concrete, straight, narrow, and certain in its image. This palace was a majesty. It was everything she had expected of Zeus: proud, boastful, and unfailing in reminding those below him of the ruler.

"I seek an audience with Zeus," she said, keeping her voice steady despite the nerves rattling beneath her skin.

"Identify yourself," one of the guards demanded.

"Lena. Lena Luthor."

Before the guards could even say anything, a disembodied voice echoed across the hundreds of feet of courtyard, "She may enter." It wasn't a shout, because it was enough to shake anyone in their core, including Lena.

For a moment, she understood why Zeus was the ruler of the celestial universe. Many had told her it was just a front, mainly Kara and Hades, and she had believed them. But this was her first time being anywhere close to the King of Olympus and she had immediately forgotten about their complaints and curses regarding the Olympian she was about to see.

The courtyard was huge and marvelous in its own self. She could easily identify Persephone's handiwork in the designation of the bouquets and bushes, the carvings of the decorations, and the placements of every item that provided more comfort to the beholders. It was no wonder that Demeter was determined to have her daughter home. This was a talent that couldn't be found anywhere else.

In the distance, she spotted a figure kneeling amidst the field and tending to the flowers. And then she could sense the aura, all too motherly and all too familiar. Before she could duck, the figure seemed to have detected her manifestation as well and stood upright. Her green eyes met the dark brown of Persephone's; she was frozen in place, as was the Queen of the Underworld.

"Lena?" Persephone mouthed, simultaneously stunned and horrified by the implication of her presence here. Before the Queen could say anything else, Lena shook her head firmly and walked faster, eliminating the distance to the entrance of the palace quickly. "No, Lena!" Persephone's shout went ignored.

And then she sprinted up the steps when she heard the running footsteps behind her. Persephone never ran. Lena had made her run. Shaking her head to herself again, the hellhound stalked past another two guards, ignoring their protests, and found herself in the throne room, where the one man everyone had been keeping her away from was seated on a throne.

Well, Kara and Hades were right. Zeus, God of Thunder, ruler of Olympus, creator of humans, serial rapist, _really_ liked to show off. The god was draped in seemingly layers of clothes, all carrying some signifier of his status as a ruler, fully equipped with robe and cloak golden in color, and a fucking crown.

No wonder Hera hated him. He must be compensating for something in that over the top getup.

"How are you not sweating?" Lena asked, unable to keep to herself as she approached the throne.

Zeus raised his brows, his face twisting into a mixture of appalled and anger. "You are in the presence of the ruler of Olympus. Show some respect," he bit out.

She nearly bowed, but then she remembered everything Kara and Hades had told her about him, so she stood straight, aloof and showing no signs of the fear that had gripped her very core.

She was closer to death than she had ever been. And damn it, she didn't want to die yet. Not yet. Not when she had finally found something worth living for. It wasn't time for her yet. She didn't want it to be the time yet.

"From what I've heard, you do not deserve it," she said, hearing her own voice echoing in the room. She clenched her hands into fists and stared him straight in the eyes. "You have been watching my brother," she declared.

"He threatens –"

"Nothing," Lena interjected, ignoring the way his expression became more angered. He could easily summon a bolt of thunder and she'd be on her knees. She wouldn't die, that was for sure, but she could still feel pain. There was a reason why it took an army of millions to eliminate all hellhounds back in the day. "You are focusing on the wrong demon."

He seemed as if he wanted to say more, probably bellow, but a commotion at the entrance of the hall stopped him. Lena could recognize Kara's voice ringing in, demanding the guards to move. She closed her eyes for a second, unable to stop herself from smiling. She had expected her absence to be reported as soon as Alex and Sam noticed; just not this fast.

"Let her in," the god on the throne ordered.

She kept her gaze pinned on Zeus as footsteps pounded over the tiles, keeping the surprise at sensing even Hades and Persephone among her friends within herself. She had to stay stubborn and unmoving in the presence of the man who threatened her very existence. She would not allow him to see her weak.

Soon enough, they were all there, clamoring up by her and all of them shooting glares at both her and their ruler.

"I have never received this many uncalled for visitors before," Zeus commented, squinting at them. "Let alone two demons," he added, noticing Sam's aura. "And Lachesis."

"Oh, believe me, Your Almighty, this is not for you," Cat drawled, rolling her eyes.

Lena's eyes snapped towards the woman, frowning at her sudden appearance. And it was only then did she detect it: the mysterious and mystified aura that belonged to neither Olympians nor demons. Cat raised her brows and shrugged. She turned to Kara, who was justifiably unhappy about their current predicament. The blonde only nodded in confirmation.

One of the Fates had been right under their noses this whole time. And they didn't even notice it. The logic in her was not surprised. The Fate had been in hiding for so long that it shouldn't be a miracle that they had learned to cover up their auras. She just didn't understand why Cat was here with them.

"Lena was just telling me that I have been wrong in my judgement," Zeus announced, casting his attention back on the raven haired woman.

Persephone scoffed. "You seem surprised, father," she deadpanned.

"Lena, I need to talk to you," Kara said, ignoring the fact that her father was literally right there. " _Now_."

"Your throne is in danger, Zeus," Lena informed, not looking at Kara anymore. She couldn't. If she even walked away from where she stood right now, she knew she would run and never come back. And that would mean her mother had the will to unleash whatever she had planned on the god.

" _Lena._ "

"Yes, I agree. The disrespect I have received recently makes me wonder if I ought to apply more stringent measures to keep you insolents in line," he said, glowering. "I am the ruler of Olympus, the creator of the universe. None of you would be here without me. Yet here you all are, crowding my palace. What is this? A playground?"

"Oh, brother, anyone with half a brain can discern that you are nothing more than just a leech," Hades complained. He moved closer to Lena, his front almost colliding with her back, and touched her elbow with a gentle grip. "This is a mistake, Lena. It is dangerous. We can find another way." There was no mistaking the worry in his voice, the fatherly care that he never failed to show her. She wanted to cry. "Please, let us go home."

"It is his throne, Your Majesty," she addressed him. "And I am so tired."

Hades tightened his grasp on her elbow, lowering his head by her ear. "You can rest. We can go home and you can rest. You do not deserve this."

"Your Majesty," she turned slightly to return the courtesy of speaking into his ear, "you and I both understand that there is no other way."

"Need I remind you that I am right here," Zeus said, displeased with their whispering.

Before he could stop her, Lena stepped closer to the throne and away from Hades, shutting them all down. "Our disrespect is the least of your worries when my mother and the Fates are currently planning to abdicate your throne," she said, clenching her jaw. "Their plans are already in motion, and sooner or later, they will be here before you know it and you will not stand a chance."

He narrowed his eyes. "They are not strong enough."

"I am." Kara growled in frustration. Hades cursed under his breath. Persephone gasped. "Kara and I are," she corrected. "I do not know how, but they are planning to use me and your daughter's strengths to take you down. I can imagine my mother has even gathered an army to make sure her plans go smoothly."

"And who will then take this seat if they succeed?"

"Me."

"Lena, stop!" Kara yelled.

Zeus scrutinized her for a long while with narrowed eyes. And then he stood up from his throne, descended the steps, and placed himself in front of her. A small smirk tugged on his lips, as if he had found something he was looking for. She would recognize that look in his eyes anywhere; she had seen it on passing men and occasional members of the board in the mortal realm.

A look of want. Recognition of her appearance. Lust and longing. Honestly, she should have seen this coming from the most promiscuous man in history.

"Yes, I do have a weakness for beautiful women such as you," Zeus whispered teasingly, eyes wandering her figure shamelessly.

Fingers clasped on her arm and pulled her away from him. Kara moved to stand in front of Lena. "You stay away from her," she growled. "If you even touch her –"

"It will not work on me," Zeus haughtily said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Women cannot trap me." He turned to Cat. "I would think you and your sisters are smarter than this."

Cat scoffed, moving her way from the back to join them at the front. "We _are_ , you moron," she sneered. "You are missing two things. Firstly, women have always been able to trap you. You speak with your crotch. Otherwise, you would not have so many offspring you do not even know about." Zeus raised his hand, but she stopped his attack by raising her own hand limply in the air. "Secondly, she said herself _and_ Kara, and you would not go so low as to be attracted to your own daughter, will you?"

Lena had heard all about how Zeus himself couldn't control the Fates, because his own string was in their hands. If Zeus was ever afraid of anybody, they would be the Fates. But now, at this moment, she was witnessing the power for the first time, and Cat was just one Fate.

Admiration rose in her at the woman's gall. It wasn't even courage. It wasn't recklessness. It was confidence. The Fates knew what they wanted and needed, they were fully aware of what they were capable of. With that understanding, they could bend Zeus to their will if they so wished it. But they didn't. For eons, they had stayed in hiding, not even bothering to emerge from their cave unless circumstances were dire.

So why were they here now? Knowing they had the power to make Zeus their lapdog, there was no reason for them to usurp the throne. They appreciated the silence and their privacy, and usurping the throne would only destroy that appreciation.

Lena wondered if she had truly made a mistake by coming here. There was something else at play here – something that not even Lillian was aware of.

"And it is not you we want to take down, Zeus," Cat added.

Lena stiffened. Kara looked back to her for a second, her glare intensified, like she was silently telling Lena that this was an incredibly stupid move and she knew the other thing that was at play here. In that glare alone, Lena knew that there would be a long talk when this was over and if she came out unscathed.

"How long has it been since you saw your wife?" Cat asked, not out of curiosity but to prod the direction of the conversation. God of Thunder's lips formed a frown beneath the beard. "I thought so. Hera orchestrated this. She does not just want you off that throne. She wants you _gone_. Incredibly disappointed when that son of yours did not actually kill you." She took a deep breath and that smirk of hers was gone. "She discovered Lillian's hatred for you and worked with her. And then she came to me and my sisters."

"I find it difficult to believe that you would succumb so easily," Zeus said, his voice vibrating with barely restrained rage. The beginnings of thunder could be heard outside. "Or do you and your sisters hate me too?"

"Oh, we care not enough for you."

For someone as vain and attention hungry as the God of Thunder, this had to be cause for at least a heart attack. And judging by the way he caught a stumble backwards, it was a wonder that he didn't just die right there. Hera didn't have to go to such great lengths. Just attack his ego and be done with it. Eventually, he would definitely give up.

"Kara's mother, one of your unwilling conquests, asked me to look after her daughter in the mortal realm, because unlike you, my sisters and I value the friendships we build," Cat jabbed again. "So I did. And let me tell you, men in the mortal realm? They can be rather amazing in bed. Or out of bed, I suppose." Lena blinked and she could hear Kara fighting a snort. "One of my trysts ended up with me bearing a child." It would be funny if it wasn't so surprising, judging by the way everyone reacted at the news – gasps and squawks. "Hera leveraged him against us."

"Hold on," Kara sounded out, stepping forward slightly. " _Carter_?"

"He does not know," Cat said. She turned back to Zeus and shot him a burning look. "My sisters and I wanted no part of it. There is a reason we chose solitude in the mountain. You and your fellow Olympians are so darn disgusting. But we had no choice, because my son's life is on the line." Cat looked at Kara and softened. "This is why I need your help. Hera is the enemy here."

Zeus looked just about ready to blow up right there. It was a full on blizzard outside. The place had gotten so loud that Lena was fearful that one of those thunderbolts would strike them. They watched as he started pacing in front of the steps, back and forth, like a man who had just seen his wife in bed with someone else. Ironic, really, since he was philandering one in his and Hera's marriage.

It wasn't a wrong decision to come here, after all. Zeus did need to know this. But Lena kind of wished that she had come with this additional information. It wouldn't do her nerves any good, but at least she would have the full picture. She thought she already had the full picture, what with her mother's ambitions and twisted idea of love for her stepdaughter. It just became clearer as to how Lillian managed to pull off her tricks under Hades' nose – she had someone much more powerful backing her.

And perhaps it was diabolical to think that Hera managing to orchestrate this coup to such details without anyone noticing was nothing short of brilliant, but Lena always had an appreciation for intelligence and cunning. Plus, Zeus totally deserved it.

She would have gone along with it if it wasn't for the fact that she wouldn't want anyone else occupying that throne. That position could create insurmountable ego in anyone; Zeus was proof of that. But at least he knew what his position entailed and he rarely ever meddled in anyone's business unless absolutely necessary. To think that her mother's endgame was to have her on that throne was nauseating. She couldn't do it. She certainly didn't want it.

"And what is her role in this?" Zeus finally asked, pointing at Lena, the lust he had earlier dissipated. "She is just a lowly demon."

"Call her lowly again, brother, and I will not hesitate to snap your neck," Hades warned.

"Please," Zeus scoffed. "What? You are only here because she came here without your permission."

Hades would have tackled his brother to the floor and punch the daylights out of him if Persephone hadn't kept a firm grip on him. But the woman didn't look much appeased at Zeus' remarks as well, as she cast a glare that was mirrored on Kara's, Alex's, and Sam's faces, at her father.

"Father, do remember that your role as the King of Olympus does not mean you have the right to place judgement on those you deem lesser than you," Persephone iterated, keeping her tone chastising and diplomatic at the same time. "For your information, Lena is much better as a demon than you will ever be as a god."

"Is that how you talk to your father? Is this what I get from my children? Impudence and rebellion? I built this kingdom and you get to lavish in its luxury!" Zeus snapped.

"And beneath all that luxury is what, father?" Kara joined in, raising her brows in confrontation. "A controlling father who has given us more stepmothers than we can count. An environment where we learn more about going at each other's throats than building bonds as siblings ought to. A family that doesn't even exist because our father cannot care less for us and our mothers are too traumatized by what _you_ did to them to even give us a second glance." She scoffed and crossed her arms. "I have learned more about family and friends with these people than I have during my time here."

"This demon has brainwashed each and every one of you." The god pointed an accusing finger at Lena. "Instead of accusing my wife of treason, perhaps it is you who made them think this way," he hissed. "You are an ambitious demon who did not have the power to defeat me, so you brainwashed those close to me to get what you want."

Lena rolled her eyes. She knew that it was possible for the whole confrontation to come to this; she had just hoped that it wouldn't. But seeing as he was accusing her of something as childish as this, there wouldn't be a difference anyway. One way or another, he would eventually choose to execute her – either for committing treason or being a hellhound.

And honestly, she would rather go in a more honorable way.

"You are a careless god, Zeus," she commented.

And then she looked him in the eyes and summoned the howling rage that had always lingered in her core, waiting to be unleashed at any moment. It had died down when she allowed the animal in her to come out during that fire. However, the events for the last few days had stoked the fire once again. It wasn't difficult to summon the fire and make herself known.

Shifting in the palace was out of the question. Still, one could recognize a hellhound if the hellhound chose to be recognized. That burn behind her eyes was liberating, nothing short of exhilarating. And a crawl was starting to creep up her skin, ripples and shakes, begging to break out and take out this man before her once and for all.

Lena loved it. She loved the destruction that she could easily unleash in her true form. She loved the dangers she posed as a hybrid creature that had never been seen before. She loved that nobody had ever thought of this possibility; that a demon and a hellhound could breed something like her. She loved the heritage, the inheritance, the blood that coursed through her veins, a mixture of two well-defined and carefully cultured beings that had been in existence since the beginning of times, before Zeus had even fathomed of _creating_.

But most of all, she loved how Zeus failed to catch his footing and tripped on the step, almost falling on his ass if not for his delayed composure.

Only then did she hone it back in, a blatant ignorance of that roar in her head that had howled in pleasure at the idea of acquiring freedom. This was when she hated it. Hated that she enjoyed it so much. Hated that she had to torture the animal in her because of her rationale and unwillingness to become what her mother wanted her to become.

It was then that she felt ache in her arm and realized that Kara had gripped onto her tightly. Ripping her eyes away from the still astounded god, she saw Kara, terrified – for her or her father, Lena wasn't sure – and seemingly ready to take Lena far, far away from here at the next possible opportunity. It was also clear that Kara had gone from none too pleased to absolute fury – again, at her or her father, Lena wasn't sure.

Lena could only offer a tight smile before turning back to Zeus who had gathered his composure and looking at her with utter distrust, prepared to strike her with his infamous thunder. "I destroyed you."

"Oh no, you did not," she denied. "You destroyed my mother's generation, but –" she shrugged "– you missed. My father is a demon." And then she raised her arms in the air, an exaggerated delightful grin on her face. "Best of both worlds, I suppose."

He snapped to his brother, pointing another finger in her face, almost poking her in the nose if she hadn't stepped back. "Did you know?" he growled.

Hades clenched his jaw. "I have been protecting her from you since she was born."

With another growl, Zeus raised his arm high up in the air. And the thunder grew closer. She looked up and sure enough, the bolts were in the interior of the room.

Lena sighed, accepting her fate but knowing she could still delay it. "I came here with the full knowledge that I will perish," she said, her grin gone and replaced by a solemn look. Suddenly, the nerves she had felt curling in her like lingering smoke had disappeared. They were right. Zeus was nothing more than just a god. "Your cowardice will not allow me to live." Louder. "But my mother is out there and I am certain with her own army as well. Apparently, your wife is a part of this coup as well. I do not know about you, but many lives are at risk here, especially Kara, and I swear to you, I will not die until they are stopped. Let us also not forget that you need me." She tilted her head, daring him to oppose her. "After all, not only does the blood of something that terrifies you enough to commit genocide run in my veins, I am also a demon, curated by your brother himself."

To agree to her could have taken him a lot of strength, given that a vein almost popped on his forehead and his mustache didn't cease twitching. But in the end, he dropped his arm and the bolts of lightning were gone. Still, outside didn't seem to be improving. She suspected it wouldn't cease until she was truly gone.

"We also know that meager thunderbolts wouldn't be able to kill me," she remarked, unable to help herself.

He got up in her face and it was only her palm raised in the air that stopped the others from pulling them apart. She wouldn't kneel to him. She wouldn't be scared of him. She had pretty much already sacrificed herself and handed her head over to him on a platinum platter. There was no point in backing down now.

"You are hanging on a fraying thread here, scum. When my wife is dealt with, I promise you that I will end you. They may think that I am incapable of keeping my promises, but I assure you, this one I will."

She nodded curtly, stepped back, and replied, "I expect nothing more from the King of Olympus."

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 **i have a plan. don't cry. _i have a plan, guys._**

 **(i'm just not sure when i'll update)**


	24. kiss me until i forget

**yes, i missed last week. nope, not going to even try to explain. but i think you're going to like this one, because non-explicit sexy times happen. still, because i don't want you to like me too much, i've added like a shit ton of angst :)**

 **now, read, ponder, and, enjoy!**

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Kara didn't release her grip on Lena's arm as they stepped out of the portal and into the penthouse, followed by their other companions, even Hades and Persephone. She dragged Lena to the couch and – gently – pushed her to sit while the rest of them stood, all carrying a variety of disapproving expressions, mixed with frustration, angry, concern, and most of all, fear.

Lena, because she probably somehow still failed to understand the gravity of the situation, just stared them dead in the eyes, nonchalant. As if she hadn't just handed her life over to the one man that Hades and Persephone had spent so long to keep her away from. But Kara knew her, and she knew that when Lena played with the ring on her right middle finger, it meant she was scared.

"I'm gonna call Diana," Alex finally said after a huffing sigh, turning away from them and entering a random room.

"Can you give us the room, please?" Kara then asked, not looking away from Lena once.

There was a barrage of emotions swirling in her chest right now, but the easiest to identify of them all was anger, thus she was going to let that out first. Understandingly, they all shifted away, finding rooms to settle in while no doubt eavesdropping in on them. Which was probably right, because Kara would need someone to stop her if she ended up saying more than she should and did more than she was supposed to.

The blonde started pacing, pulling her hair out of her ponytail and running her fingers through the loose strands again and again. "Do you hate me? Do you hate all of us?" she asked on her fifth round of pacing the same circle, glaring at Lena.

Lena only watched her with a set jaw and a pair of burning eyes. "I love you." Kara froze. The hellhound's lips twitched sardonically. "I realized I should have told you that in the beginning. And now that I don't have much time left, I probably shouldn't leave it hanging anymore."

Kara should probably be overjoyed. For some time, she had thought that Lena didn't feel the same way and it admittedly hurt, but she pushed it down because love shouldn't be conditional and Lena shouldn't ever _have_ to feel like that just because Kara did. And now, apparently her feelings was reciprocated, and that meant she managed to tear down the Berlin Wall that Lena had built up.

Except it didn't feel much like it. It didn't feel like she broke down anything. Perhaps she didn't even really know Lena at all. Maybe those walls had always been there in the first place. It was possible that there was another steel wall behind those bricks.

Since realizing that her feelings for Lena ran much deeper than pure friendship, she had acknowledged that loving the woman would be difficult. Almost impossible. But she hadn't imagined it to come to this – this turmoil of emotions in her that never ceased because the woman sitting on the couch could never give her a rest.

"If you love me, you would have _napped_ like I thought you were!" she snapped.

"I didn't have a choice," Lena said, voice still composed and steady, which only infuriated Kara all the more.

"You had a choice! You could have chosen to stay here instead of running off on a suicide mission! You gave yourself a death sentence! Do you have the slightest idea what you've done?"

"Honestly, Kara, for the first time since I came here and met you, I have never been more aware of what I've done."

An almost animalistic groan escaped Kara's throat loudly, reverberating in her chest and echoing the consuming aggravation curling up in her cells. " _Why_ can't you just understand that we are in your corner? _Why_ do you insist on being the martyr when you don't have to? _Why_ couldn't you, for _one_ second, think about the fact that we _do_ have options?"

"I do know that you are in my corner, which is why I did what I did. I love you. I love all of you. That wasn't me being a martyr; that was me trying to save as many lives as I can."

"At the price of _your own_?"

"What other options do you think we have, Kara?" Lena sighed, all too exhausted to raise her voice in response to Kara's escalating volume.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that if your mother thinks that you and I are capable of taking down my father, then we are capable of taking down your mother too!" Kara exclaimed. "Did you think about that?"

"Well, did you think about the fact that my mother surely has an army right now and that means more than we can bear? Or that the Fates could be too powerful for us to stop them? If we hadn't learned that the Fates want our help too, one flick of a string could turn our lives upside down. Also, did you think you consider that your stepmother – perhaps the most powerful Olympian next to your father – is in on it too, apparently?"

Busy feet came to a halt on the carpet as the owner kept staring at Lena. A thousand steps ahead, _always_. Kara didn't know if peak intelligence was one of Lena's strengths, and she really wouldn't put it past her.

At her silence, Lena nodded. "Yeah, I thought so. So, no, Kara, I do not hate you. I thought long and hard about it. Saw the steps. Anticipated the outcome. Nothing remotely good came out of any of it, including meeting your father. But meeting your father was the only one that could even give me a less awful outcome compared to the others."

"You didn't have to go alone," Kara replied, quieter this time, her anger all but dissipated, replaced by pangs of despair and unwillingness for the time to move forward.

Lena sighed, closing her eyes. "I know that if I tell you, you'll stop me, and I'll listen to you. And I've found that I can't say no to you." Lena released a mocking laugh as her fingers kept twirling the ring. "And then where will we be?"

"I can't…save you from this, Lena." She waited until Lena opened her eyes to continue. "Do you truly understand that? My father is – he won't – I can't save you from this," she choked, finally letting the clog that had been waiting for its debut in her throat to rise. "I can't save you and I can't lose you."

There was no Orpheus scenario here. She might be a goddess, but Lena was a demon and a hellhound combined. If she died, she would be gone forever. Kara wouldn't be able to try and save her soul from the Underworld even if she tried.

The raven haired woman rose from the couch, rounded the coffee table, and stood in front of Kara, cupping her face in her gentle and smooth hands. Wordlessly, with a solemn smile, thumbs wiped away at the tears that had started to trickle from the edge of Kara's eyes. Through blurry eyes, she watched as Lena opened and closed her mouth, like she didn't know what she could say.

And then the smile widened, like she had finally found something to say. "You can help me," she whispered. "Save me by helping me. I'll only go peacefully if I know that my mother will no longer get up to any kind of evil once and for all." She rested her forehead against Kara's. "Use your strength. Don't hide how powerful you are and can be. Be the Goddess of Cherish that everyone loves and admires so much. That's how you save me."

Kara sucked in a deep breath, inhaling air and Lena's perfume all at once. Her inhibitions were ignored as she wrapped her arms around Lena's waist and pulled her tight against her body, pressed against each other. She looked into green eyes, shimmering and so penetrating that Kara worshipped them. Worshipped the woman.

"I hate you."

"I know."

"I don't want to lose you."

"It's okay."

"I can't lose you."

"You can."

Kara tightened her arms, locking Lena in her embrace and wishing that she would stay there forever. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I want to kiss you."

Lena made a humorous noise, not much a laugh but not much of an exhale either. Her smile widened and her eyes twinkled. She nodded, their foreheads moving together at the movement. "Me too."

Her breathing quickened, as did Lena's. Kara began to nuzzle the woman's nose, drawing her lips to the tip of it and then up and up and up until she reached Lena's forehead. It was so faint, the touches, like whispers of them, coursing between particles and eliciting sparks of electricity so dim that it sank under Kara's skin and right into her nerves. Kisses on the cheeks. Kisses on the eyes. Kisses on the sides of her lips.

A pause on the lips, a slight breadth of space, so small that not much movement was needed. Kara had waited for this for so long, and she didn't know if she could accept that she wouldn't have much of this from now on. She needed to savor it, but time was not on their side. Time was mocking, cruel. She hated time. She made a note to have a long talk with Chronos for even existing at all.

And then the gap was nonexistent. It was not like the films or the TV shows – no fireworks, no thunderclaps, no sudden waking up from a dark place. She kissed Lena like she meant it, because she meant it. Demanding. Smoldering. Lena's grip around her neck pulled her closer and Kara followed willingly. One of them sighed; the other hummed. Simultaneously bravely and cowardly, she pushed her tongue forward, only to be met with willingly opened lips.

* * *

In a very distant corner of her mind, Kara thought that if this was what had to be done to kiss Lena, she'd rather they didn't kiss at all.

"I think Hades is waiting for you."

Fingers lightly danced across skin of white creamy tone, reluctant to lose any contact at all. It reminded her of whipped milk, of the gleam of a glow-worm, of parchment, of the expanse she had just spent seconds and minutes and hours touching and touching and touching. The only descriptive she could come up with was 'flawless'.

Lena hummed from next to her, eyes still closed and facing the blonde, arms hugging the pillow under her head, glossy hair over it like she just had really good sex. And Kara didn't know about her, but it was the best sex to her. She shifted closer, memorizing the freckles and crevices and upturns of her features. She wanted to brand them into her memory. Brand this into her memory.

Their time was running out.

"He can wait," Lena murmured. She sounded scratchy and sleepy.

Kara smiled, failing to curb the delight that rose at the effect of what she did to Lena just half an hour ago. "He's your king," she reminded gently, tapping a rhythm on Lena's shoulder.

Green eyes showed themselves gradually, lids lifting slowly and blinking and then finally finding their places at the tops. "I don't think authority is something I have to worry about anymore," Lena retorted gently, reluctantly, like she knew what those words would do to this temporary haven they found themselves in.

Kara would love to keep smiling, but there was no reason for it, not anymore. "You're cruel," she whispered. It wasn't meant to be a joke. She meant it like it was. Cruel and unforgiving.

When she traced her lips over Lena's body, fingers making their marks across her arms and legs, the ache never did left. It was an odd combination – ache and pleasure. When she watched Lena came to her highs repeatedly with Kara's fingers and mouth, she didn't tear her eyes away at all, wondering if there would be a next time. When she collapsed on top of Lena and wrapped her up in blankets and needy arms, she wanted to cry.

"I love you," Lena responded. Kara frowned deeply, pursing her lips. "Can you do something for me?"

"What is it?"

Lena hesitated. And then she released her hold on the pillow to crowd up to Kara, resting her elbow on the mattress and leaning her head in her hand, the other arm rising to brush her gentle fingers through Kara's hair.

"Don't hang on to me," the CEO requested. Kara didn't think she could frown more. "Let me go. There will be someone out there, much kinder and much less selfish – fall in love with them. Let me go." Kara wanted to protest, but Lena pressed a finger against her lips, locking eyes with her. "Please."

The blonde suppressed the unflinching weight in her chest, a lame effort to cover up the pain. She rose as well, pressing her lips to Lena's and whispering, "Okay." She lied.

* * *

There was a reason she didn't like Hermes. Eavesdropping and stealing information were just not things that she could agree with, and she had always tried to avoid doing either of those things any way she could, preferring to acquire information up front and without sneaking around. It was easier too.

But she had only just gotten to kiss and touch Lena liked she had always wanted to. And there was a high chance that she wouldn't be able to do that for much longer. So she had found herself in a position that she hated her brother for – ducked behind the bedroom door and listening to the conversation carried out in the kitchen with her enhanced hearing. The guilt had vanished the moment Alex and Sam joined her.

Kara made a note to point out their handholding sometime in the near future, when the life of the only person she'd love wasn't in grave danger.

"When I told you to keep giving me and my husband trouble, I did not mean this," Persephone began, an impatient tone taking over her voice.

The blonde wished she could see through the walls and watch what they were doing, but she felt like it was bad enough that she was eavesdropping on them.

"I've always liked to test limits," Lena replied, brave enough to adopt a playful voice.

"Lena," Hades said, "why couldn't you just come to me?"

"You saw what happened. You know the magnitude of my mother's plot. Coming to you or not, I will still end up meeting Zeus."

"I wish I had not sent you here in the first place," Hades sighed regrettably.

There was a pause, and then Lena said, "I am glad you did, Your Majesty. If you had not sent me here, I would not have met Kara."

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, fists clenching at her sides. Alex reached for her hand, uncurling her fingers and holding it firmly in her own, squeezing minutely.

"Even if I had remained in the Underworld, the plan was already in motion. One way or another, we would all still be in the same place. Perhaps Kara and I would not have become friends then. Perhaps my mother would have concocted some other plan to bring us together. So thank you, Your Majesty, for trusting me to be here in the first place. At least I got make some friends. At least I got to see my brother find love. At least _I_ got to find love."

Hades and Persephone were quiet. Kara could hear Persephone starting to crying, a sniffle here and there. The Queen of the Underworld, the most composed woman Kara had ever known, was crying, because Lena had so little time left. Kara could relate. Kara wanted to cry too.

"I will not let you die, Lena. We have done too much to keep you safe. We love you too much to lose you," Hades stated firmly, though it wasn't hard to miss the slight tinge of uncertainty vibrating in his words.

"Your Majesty," Lena pronounced, resigned. Kara didn't have to look to see that she was smiling. Lena always had the weirdest reasons to smile. "I think you know that my time has been limited the moment I was born. I am lucky to have even lived this long, and that is because of both of you." She listened to Lena suck a few sharp breaths in, a clear indication of the tears she was keeping at bay. "I have accepted that I will perish eventually. I just never fathomed that I would meet Kara before then."

Kara leaned her head against Alex's shoulder, muffling her whimpers in the material of Alex's shirt.

"Lena," Persephone whispered, "you do not have to do this."

"I already did, and I do not regret it. As long as it keeps all of you safe, I am able to live with my decision." The sound of chair scraping across the carpet echoed. "Now, I am certain that my mother and Hera will initiate their plans soon. So, please, will you allow me the respite of spending time with my loved ones before I face my fate?" Lena pleaded.

Two more chairs scraped. "I love you, Lena," Persephone offered.

"I love you too. Both of you."

* * *

Alex received a text from Diana telling her that they would be landing soon, and she pulled Kara out with her to the car without even asking. Lena and Sam stayed put where they were, chatting with Hades and Persephone as if everything was normal. Kara didn't even protest when Alex shoved her in the passenger seat.

They kept mum when Alex started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Kara played with her fingers while Alex shot her concerned glances. The car pulled up to a red light, and only then did Alex speak.

"Let it out, Kara." The blonde tugged at the sleeve of her sweater, focused on a particular thread that had unraveled. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Kara pulled on the thread, watching it getting longer and longer and longer. A hand appeared in her vision, putting a stop to her tugging by landing on her hands and gripping on them.

"Okay, I'm gonna ask something I never thought I'd ask my sister," Alex said. "How was it?" Kara looked up to see her sister displaying an expression that was in between a grimace and a smirk. "You guys were hidden away pretty long. And we certainly didn't need enhanced hearing to hear you."

Heat gathered at her neck and made its way up to her cheeks. Kara swallowed and cleared her throat. "It was great. She was amazing. Definitely knew what she was doing with her…hands…and tongue." She blinked rapidly and had to smile when Alex groaned. "Hey, you asked."

"You wouldn't talk," Alex snapped. "Now that that's out of the way. How about you talk to me?"

Kara swallowed again and removed one hand from under Alex's to scratch at her brow. "I don't –" She shook her head and tried to comprehend the sheer weight of the hammer that had been pounding on her chest since they left Olympus. "When I met you, we were kids, and I thought you're the best person. Ever." Alex smiled, squeezing the one hand she still had in her grip. "And you _are_ still the best person ever. You're my rock."

"And I always will be, Kara," Alex whispered.

Kara nodded. "I need you to be my mountain when this is all over," she replied, her voice cracking. "Because I don't know I'll be able to hold myself up." It was the only way she could think of expressing the excruciating pain that she was feeling right now, and she was sure to feel something ten times worse when the time came.

"Okay."

"I'm not going back."

"I'll stay here with you."

"I don't know if I can stay here."

Alex paused. "I'm sure Hades has a space saved for you."

Kara moved to lean her head against the window, looking sideways at the redhead. "She came from the Underworld, Alex. It's her home."

And that was it, wasn't it? There was nowhere she could go. Escape. Everywhere was tainted. Olympus was out of the question. The mortal realm? Well, they met here. The Underworld would only remind her of a past that she never got to know. No place was safe.

"This sucks, huh?"

Kara nodded. "Donkey balls."

Her sister chuckled, but there was no mistaking the sympathy in her eyes and the way her fingers remained squeezed around Kara's hand.

* * *

Diana arrived soon after with Steve, and she didn't look all too happy. When she saw Kara and Alex, she made sure to give Kara a good, long, and tight hug. On the drive back, it was quiet – no one spoke, and Kara knew it was because they didn't want to disturb the quiet that she so yearned. They made a stop at Winn's building and she picked up Bench, ignoring his questions and thanking him with a fake smile that could be spotted miles away.

Once they reached the penthouse, Diana dropped her bags on the floor, trusting Steve to deal with it, and dragged Lena out of the balcony and Kara didn't try to eavesdrop again. She warned all of the others to not eavesdrop.

It wasn't right.

Instead, they just watched as Diana yelled at Lena behind the glass door, completed with angry hand gestures and dramatic facial expressions. Holding up her own, Lena spoke without as much drama, as she did when she was talking with Kara and Hades and Persephone. Eventually, Diana seemed pleased – well, not pleased, but abated – and then she started crying.

Lena reached out to cup Diana's face, her thumbs swiping away at the tear tracks that had run down the Amazon's cheeks. She said more things, to which Diana weepily replied – must have been a witty one, because Lena laughed. And then they hugged.

Kara realized watching them wasn't really a good idea either. Even though the curtains were not drawn. Even though it wasn't exactly her fault that Lena loved using transparent doors to form a barrier between the balcony and the living room. Even though Lena and Diana definitely didn't mind them watching.

She stood up from the couch, whistling lowly for Bench to follow her. He willingly padded after her, tongue lolling out, not at all understanding that he was about to the person who rescued him from under his namesake in the first place. Entering the kitchen, she started opening cabinet doors to look for anything edible for the dog, only to find there was already a huge bag of Zignature under the island.

Frozen still, her knees on the floor, she took in the unopened bag, the clean ceramic dog bowls, and a few toys stashed there. Her reverie was only broken when tiny little paws crawled onto her thighs and stumbled into the space, sniffing happily at the kibble bag and curiously at the toys.

" _I'm pretty sure I have some fun aunt potential in me_ ," Lena had said that time when she managed to coax Bench out in just minutes, something that Kara had failed in thirty minutes. Kara didn't see the connection, but seeing the kibble bag, it was clear as day. Dogs lived in packs, and as a hellhound, Bench would naturally be attracted to her.

But this wasn't 'fun aunt'. This was more than that. The kibble and the dog bowl and the toys, even when Bench had never been in this penthouse before. Kara didn't know what to think at the thought Lena even buying these things in the first place. It would have been hilarious and she would have teased the woman about it before. But now? Now, it was a waste. That hopefulness and bare optimism that Lena wasn't known for had vanished the second she showed up at Olympus.

And yeah, the whole point of meeting Zeus to avoid getting him killed. But at the price of Lena's life? She still wasn't sure it was worth it. If he was worth it.

What's done was done, as they said. She just hoped her father would grow some humility at the end of all this and learn to appreciate. Shaking the dark thoughts from her head, she took the bag out, tore it open, and poured a generous amount into one of the bowls. When Bench was happily munching, she took the other bowl and brought it to the sink, filling it with water. Lena came in when she was putting it down next to Bench.

Kara crossed her arms to keep from touching Lena. Still, the memories of the burning touches and searing moans from hours before were on a playback. She looked at Lena and she couldn't help but see the nakedness behind those clothes, and she wanted to do it again. Maybe it could make her late in confronting her mother or something. Maybe it would convince Lena to stay.

"This isn't exactly 'fun aunt'," Kara pointed out, motioning towards the cabinet.

Lena stared at it and chuckled, moving further into the kitchen to stand opposite Kara, leaning against the counter. Kara mirrored her and leaned against the island. "I suppose I was hoping that you'd bring him over one day. Stay over, even." She threw Kara a furtive glance.

"I'm staying over tonight."

Lena's smile widened, this time glad instead of wary. "Good."

"And every night until it happens," Kara tacked on.

"Better." Lena bit her lip and cast a glance towards the doorway. "Cat actually left to meet with her sisters. She said she'll update us."

Kara tensed and clenched her jaw. She closed her eyes, sighing heavily. She'd been so caught up in the whole Lena-was-going-to-die thing that she completely forgot that her conversation with Cat didn't get the chance to finish. Well, come to think of it, it was technically finished, since Cat had already explained everything in Olympus.

"Okay." She watched Bench gobbling up his food and wondered briefly if Winn had been feeding him at all. "He's going to miss you," she whispered.

"He barely knows me," Lena replied.

"Shouldn't you know that dogs get attached easily?"

Lena was quiet for a moment. "Do you wish you hadn't met me?"

Jaw clenching, Kara tightened her fingers over her arms to resist from hugging Lena. "Sometimes," she admitted softly, unable to bring herself to look at the raven haired woman. "I wonder, you know, if it would be easier. Maybe if we hadn't met, my stepmother's plan wouldn't go through. It'd keep me oblivious. It'd keep me alive."

A chuckle slipped past Lena's lips. "Stepmothers," she remarked darkly with a sardonic smile. "Well, I suppose fairytales carry some truth."

" _We_ are supposed to be fairytales."

"I rest my case."

Kara didn't laugh – it wasn't laughable at all – but she smiled, because Lena making a joke in a situation like this, completely predictable. "But I don't, you know," she said after a long pause, staring at Lena. "I don't regret meeting you."

The CEO nodded in both agreement and acknowledgement. She sidled over, shifting closer to Kara until their shoulders were pressed up together. As Bench licked the edges of his bowl for non-existent remnants, the two of them just enjoyed each other's warmth, relishing in the familiarity of each other – a familiarity that had improved vastly this morning.

"It's been a long day," Lena whispered when Bench gave up and started drinking from the other bowl. "Let's go to bed."

Kara leaned down to pet Bench's head a couple of times before taking Lena's hand and leading her out of the kitchen, ready to spend the night carving her marks on Lena's skin again and again and again.

* * *

 **don't worry - bench is not losing lena (or is he?) *wink wink* if my math isn't wrong, there will be probably be one more chapter and then an epilogue, then this fic will officially come to a close. but i've always had a tendency to come up with new shit that gives me more trouble than ever and just keep adding on and on and on so...**


	25. thing is to have a life before we die

**idek how long i've been gone, things have been really busy on my end. i was accepted into an exchange program to australia in july so i had to apply for insurance and visa and all that stuff. ALSO, malaysia just had an elections and we have a new government and i am way too excited about that. but i am back now! for now, anyway.**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

Whoever it was banging on the door, she swore she would never forgive them. Sleep had always eluded her, and she couldn't remember the last time she slept so well. She had intended to ignore them when she was first pulled out of her slumber from the annoying banging, but they wouldn't relent, and she had a feeling that they would keep it up until one of them opened the door.

Groaning, Lena removed herself from the comfortable cocoon that was Kara's arms and the blanket, not forgetting to kiss the tip of the blonde's nose, and pulled the shirt Kara was wearing the night before along with her underwear. Clutching the shirt together to cover up her chest, she headed over to the door, prepared her best glare, and opened it.

Diana stood on the other side, hair pulled up into a neat ponytail and body clad in what was obviously a training outfit. At her glare, the Amazon only ticked her brow and allowed her eyes to travel down Lena's barely covered up body, lingering on her pale legs.

"Haven't lost your touch," she commented with admiration.

Lena rolled her eyes, clutching the shirt tighter. "You have a boyfriend," she replied, voice still laden with sleep. "What do you want?"

"Put on some clothes. Something you can move in," Diana added. "Wake her up too." She gestured at the still sleeping form on the bed. "Meet me on the roof."

Before Lena could even ask, the woman had already turned and left. From the door, Lena could see Alex and Sam, dressed in similar outfit, tailing her into the elevator. Lena sighed, wanting to collapse back into bed but knowing that Diana would just come back down if they didn't show up in thirty minutes at most. She closed the door and started picking up the discarded pieces on the floor, making her way to Kara's side of the bed.

Having deposited the clothes in the laundry basket, she crawled over Kara, straddling the woman with her hands perched on two sides of the blonde's head. She allowed herself one minute to take it all in – the sun had started rising and Kara was absolutely bathed in gold. Beautiful.

Gently, the raven haired woman lifted one hand to caress Kara's cheek, fingers trailing at the edge of her ear with the knowledge that it was Kara's tickle spot. As expected, the goddess groaned in displease, already tugging out of her peaceful sleep. Slight regret rose in Lena for disturbing her peace.

"Wake up, Kara," she whispered, lowering her head until they were nose to nose. She smiled wider when Kara groaned again but didn't move her head. "Diana's gonna hunt us down if we don't show up soon."

From an extremely close distance, where the freckles were in high resolution and each movement of lashes were caught and all exhalation could be felt, blue eyes gradually and tiredly blinked open, blurry at first and growing more aware along with each blink. There was a jarring second when Lena discovered herself stilling at being stared at by those eyes, completely focused on her and nothing else.

"What time is it?" Kara's slurry voice jolted her from the stillness of the moment of the second, reminding her that the sun was still rising and time waited for no one.

Lena lifted her head slightly and turned towards the clock on the bedside table. "Five thirty-two," she declared, finding the additional AM particularly irritating.

The offended expression that crossed Kara's face was utterly amusing and relatable. "Go back to sleep, for god's sake," she complained.

Suddenly, strong, muscly arms slithered around Lena's waist and toppled over until she lied on her side, face to face with Kara and body entirely trapped by a woman unwilling to let go. She giggled when Kara muttered nonsense under her breath and proceeded to bury her head in Lena's chest. She indulged by wrapping her own arms around Kara, one hand stroking blonde hair softly.

"Diana wants us to meet her on the roof," Lena informed her. Truthfully, Diana could suck it. "Alex and Sam are with her." Alex and Sam could suck it too.

"They can suck it." Kara's voice was muffled in the material of her own plaid shirt.

"You know she'll get us up there one way or another."

"You're not naked," Kara complained. And as if to solidify her complaint, she started parting the shirt, running her warm fingers over Lena's skin with no qualms whatsoever.

And really, one couldn't blame her forgetting distracted. Kara _really_ knew what she was doing. In no time at all, she was on her back and Kara was hovering over her, kissing her without holding back, tongues and all, while her hands began to slide over Lena's shoulders to take off the shirt. Diana Prince? Forgettable in this situation.

She had her palm over Kara's breast and one hand behind Kara's head when she opened her eyes for a second and noticed a floating figure outside the window. Instantly, her bravado vanished and she was no longer in the mood, detaching herself from Kara and rolling out from under her. When Kara looked almost ready to complain, she just pointed out the window, where Diana was floating, simultaneously displeased and amused.

"My sister's a creep," Kara groaned, gliding out of bed with the blanket covering her naked body and heading over to the window to pull the curtains close.

Lena snorted, stood up, and went over to her closet. Time to face the real world.

* * *

"No."

Diana smirked and teasingly touched the dome sheet that overlapped the roof. Basically, the dome created a protective shield for anything within its confines, but in this case, it was obvious that it was the other way around. Plus, as Lena touched it herself and examined its energy, this dome was one that shielded their activities from the outside world as well.

She could appreciate a well-executed trick, but, "Still a no."

"I didn't ask," Diana said.

"I think the fact that Zeus is scared enough of me to want to put a death sentence on my head the second he knew who I am is enough for me to not have to train."

Diana, ignoring the casual way Lena brought up her impending doom, shrugged. "If you are going up against Zeus alone, then sure, I'd have let you stay in bed. But you are facing Hera and your mother and undoubtedly an army. Let us also not forget that we do not yet fully know where the Fates' allegiance lies. So, yes, Lena, we are training."

"You can't make me."

Rolling her eyes, instead of replying, Diana went ahead and grabbed a bench, snapping it in half easily and throwing one half in Lena's direction. Automatically, Lena ducked, but before she could even raise her arm to decimate the piece, Kara had swooped in front of her and kicked at it, shattering the halved bench into smattering pieces.

"There you go," Diana muttered with a smile, throwing the other half at them, higher this time. Lena watched as Kara leaped up, almost floating for a second, and slapped at it – the halved bench crashed against the dome to be quartered and collapse on the ground.

She knew that all Olympians could fly and all Olympians had super strength, but there was something about watching _Kara_ in action that put her in awe.

It was in the way she leaped into her essence doubtlessly, as if it was a default in her machinations, the ferociousness that carried the kind of gallantness that Lena had never before witnessed. And yet, what she saw in direct contrast with the Kara she knew, sweet and gentle and kind and willing to lie on her back in a dirty park just to get a puppy out from under a bench.

"What the hell was that?" Kara demanded.

Diana shrugged, motioning for Alex and Sam to come forward, both of them had been standing at the back watching the whole time. "The two of you need to learn to work together for us to have a better chance when we confront Lillian," Diana called out. She gestured at an array of weapons that Lena was _certain_ did not exist on the planes of Earth. "And we are going to make sure that happens."

"This is ridiculous," Lena commented when her companions brandished themselves with weapons with the exception of her. She had never put much faith in those things; she also had never used those things, not even during the war.

She and Kara stood in the middle of the compound with Diana, Alex, and Sam circling them. Knowing full well that each and every one of them were powerful in their own right, Lena's logic was yelling at her to feel fear, but at this moment, standing back to back with Kara, fear just wasn't something she could conjure.

Alex let out a war cry, her eyes glinting gold for a brief moment before she leaped forward. And that was how the fight began. They found themselves fighting the three women in turn, first Alex, then Sam, then Diana – rinse, repeat.

It was awkward in the beginning. Lena and Kara had only ever known each other to be civil; they had never fought together or seen each other fight. But when it was their second time facing Sam, they found camaraderie, one slap here and a kick there, moving different directions to allow the other leeway. Even when Diana had disarmed Kara, they didn't lose their beat and persisted on.

They were panting and sweating when the trio stopped their assault, still forming a circle around the two of them. Lena hoped that this was it, they had grown confident in the way she worked with Kara, and they would be allowed to leave this absurd training session. That hope diminished as soon as she caught the look Diana shared with her other two partners.

Fuck.

The three women leaped into the air, their suppressed aura released in full force, Sam had her wings out to assist her floating, and Lena realized that this was the worst and last attack of the day. Finding the frustration in her, the raven haired woman bypassed the pain that always followed and transformed into her other being, snarling and howling at them, ready to strike.

Only to take a pause when Kara joined them in the air, her eyes glowing blue and not relenting. She stopped howling just to watch her.

"Do not make me do this," Kara growled and – wait, were her eyes _humming_?

She and Diana shared a long look. And then Diana chuckled, nodding in approval before she dropped back to the ground, followed by Alex and Sam. Kara, after making sure that no attacks would be made on either her or Lena, made her descent as well, subconsciously petting Lena's head.

"Good," Diana commented. "Now we can all worry a little less."

Kara huffed, kneeling down and scratching behind Lena's ears. "That was mean."

* * *

The angry presence of her brother had already invaded her home before they could even start to detect him. He landed on the balcony heavily, imprinting his footprint on the concrete beneath his feet. The wings at his back curled out of sight and he twisted his shoulders, curling his neck and cracking his jaw, all the while glaring at Lena with darkened eyes instead of blue.

She gasped at the sight of him in his celestial glory, standing up from the couch and depositing Bench on Kara's lap. Her confusion soon dissipated when Persephone joined her brother, perched on the railing of the balcony and looking the opposite of guilty. Annoyance began to eat into her chest as she realized what Persephone had done, and when she looked to Hades, it was obvious that he was in on it too.

"This is not good," Sam murmured from the bar, eyes wide as she watched them while sipping more whiskey.

Lex was still in pain, judging by the vein popping in his neck and the occasional grimace that he quickly hid away with his deepening frown. Celestial beings regaining memories from deliberate manipulation was an entirely different experience from them regaining memories from dying as pretend mortals. The literature she had studied kept her informed about the unpleasantness regarding the onslaught of memories from handmade manipulation as compared to the slow and gentle ebb of the process when they returned home.

Lena would have moved towards her brother to take a look at him if it wasn't for the fact that he was absolutely simmering at the edges. Briefly, she wondered if she could escape from the berating that was definitely impending.

And then it came to her, and she whirled around on Diana. "You planned this," Lena accused.

Diana smiled, shrugging. "I knew of it," she remarked. "Training you both was an agenda."

"To distract me."

"To train you."

"And distract me."

"It comes with the package, yes."

Lena huffed, almost regretting not pinning down Diana and tear into her earlier – not the good kind. She turned back to her brother who had entered from the balcony and was staring at her from across the coffee table. Readying herself, she cocked her brow and stared at him haughtily.

He had no right to be so angry, really. He was the one who insisted on drinking from the Lethe River. He was the one who fell for a mortal and decided that everything else was not worth it compared to her. And yes, she understood his decision, especially after having met Kara, but he still made those decisions, and she shouldn't feel responsible for everything that had transpired after.

"I know everything," Lex started off, fuming.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. Look, he was her brother and still suffering from the after effects of having his memories forcefully returned; she cared about him.

He blinked, raising his brows in that way where he couldn't believe whatever she was saying and was ready to turn on the sarcasm in him. "After learning that my sister is on a suicide mission? Surprisingly, not very good, no."

"Oh Lex."

"Don't do that," he cut her off and rounded the table to be in closer distance with her.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of what he could say. And the starkest of it all was the unconcealed fear in his eyes, just there – he didn't even try to hide it. It was awkward, to say the least, for everyone else around them. Lex had always been the image of suave and devil-may-care, while she was an absolute champion at poker face, and yet here they were, everything on display for everyone to see.

She closed her mouth and sighed through her nose, closing her eyes and laying a hand on his arm. He reacted to her touch by pulling onto her waist and into him, wrapping her up in the warmest hug he had ever given her – tight and unrelenting. She thought he would have tried to meld them together if it was physically possible.

Squeezing her eyes tighter, she relished in the aura that had been diminished within Lex the second he forgot what he was. It was so strong, familiar, and familial. Missing him as a faux human was different than missing him as a demon, that was for sure.

"Don't do that," he pleaded, this time for something else – something she would be too late to give him. At least she was able to spend some time with him where they were not weighed down by their identity – she gave him that.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered.

"Don't do that."

"It's the only way."

"Don't do that."

"I'm sorry." She stroked her fingers over the skin of his bald head. "I love you."

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Lex massaged his temples and gave a soundless groan. "They're still coming," he muttered, indicating his memories.

It had been an hour since he arrived. She wouldn't be surprised if his pain would persist for another day or two. The others had promptly excused themselves – Kara making sure to kiss her gently on the lips before retreating to the bedroom – leaving her and her brother alone. Lena had led him to the kitchen and made themselves some coffee – she needed it for the rude awakening that Diana had imposed upon her and it would also probably help him curb the headache, if only marginally.

She stayed quiet for a little, watching her brother. "You should go home," she implored. "Lana's waiting for you."

At the mention of his girlfriend, Lex lifted his head from his hand and glowered at her, though she was certain he wasn't actually angry at her.

"Don't blame yourself. I told Hades and Persephone the same thing, and I'll tell you again. It's not your fault. This would have happened even if I'd stayed in the Underworld. It's inevitable."

He clenched his jaw and shifted his glower to the coffee cup in front of him on the island. "I have been so absorbed in my…ventures that I didn't even try to pursue when I _knew_ that something has been going since the fire," he bit out. "You are my sister and I just moved my responsibility of protecting you to someone else just so I could focus on my love life. I am a terrible brother."

Rolling her eyes, she reached out to touch his hand. "Lex, look at me." When he did, she continued, "You didn't know. You didn't remember. And I don't blame you for that. You deserve this. You deserve Lana. I'm glad you found someone who can make you as happy as Lana."

"I've been distracted."

"You can't be distracted from something you didn't _know_ ," she insisted. A sigh escaped from her lips. "Like I said, it would have happened either way. We would still be stuck in this predicament, but at least this way, you found love. You found Lana. You're _happy_. And in my books, that's better than us staying in the Underworld – me hiding and you hiding me." She smiled at him. "And you are the best brother I could have asked for."

"Do you realize that you keep talking about everyone else but not yourself?" he asked, slightly irritated. She frowned in confusion. "My happiness, Hades and Persephone's forgiveness, everyone else's safety – all of those at the price of your life, and yet it feels like you don't even care." He shifted closer, leaning against the table. "I don't like that we are going to lose you soon, but I know that there is no way to talk you out of it. I also don't like that you're being so…callous about it, but I don't know _why_ that is."

"I'm not being callous," she replied, her voice meek and unwilling. "I've just accepted it."

"You shouldn't!" Lex stood up, the cup clattering on the table from his spike of energy. "This is not the kind of thing you just _accept_ , Lena!"

She raised a cursive brow. "Lex, we live in _hell_. This is exactly the kind of thing I've accepted a long time go."

After a long moment of glaring at her, he deflated and slumped back in his chair. He was quiet and pensive, probably pondering a million thoughts at once. She told herself that whatever decision he made, she would support him. Finally, he shook his head and reached for his phone in his jacket pocket.

"I'm not abandoning you until this is over," he decided.

She nodded, stood up, said, "Lana would understand," and left the kitchen.

* * *

They were taking a stroll in the park, hand in hand while Kara held Bench's leash with the other. Seemed to be a nice evening, where the moon held high in its crescent and the stars were all present, and after the talk with Lex, this walk was necessary.

He had told everyone that he would be back by midnight; had to go back to Metropolis and reassure Lana. Apparently, Persephone had shown up at his place with no regards to nuances of elusiveness – flying and all that jazz. Thankfully, it was still early in the morning, so no one had seen her. Well, no one but Lana, who had just gasped and almost screamed. She watched the whole deal: Persephone doing her thing on Lex's memories, Lex's wings almost slapping her face had she not ducked, and Lex and Persephone flying away without even a word to her.

But before he ducked out, he had shot her a meaningful look, a pitiful one. And she knew he was thinking about what they had talked about earlier. With that thought, she tightened her grip on Kara's hand.

Kara, noticing the gesture, led them to a random bench, only it wasn't random. Lena remembered it and couldn't help but snort as they sat down. Bench, delighted at the sight of his old home, crawled under it and started sniffing around. Kara laughed and rested against the back of the bench, arm extended behind Lena. She stayed quiet, staring ahead at the small pond that had frozen over from the winter. She was waiting.

"Do you think there's any way for us to escape and not let your father find us if we come out alive?" Lena finally asked, watching the leash Kara was holding being tugged around.

Kara visibly relaxed next to her. Of course she would; she'd been waiting for Lena to finally say something since yesterday. And of course she knew that all of Lena's talk about accepting her death was just bravado. Well, not exactly bravado – she _had_ accepted it. But that also didn't mean she wanted it.

It wasn't fair. There was a chance that she would be the key instrument in saving the world along with woman next to her, and yet she would be killed at the end of it, while Kara would get all the praises that she deserved.

That was what she get for being born as something that was supposed to have been extinct, she supposed.

"I think that I would do anything for us to stay together," Kara carefully enunciated.

Lena sighed and shifted a little so she could rest her head on Kara's shoulder comfortably. "I really do appreciate it, you know. The time we've had together, however short it is." She nuzzled deeper and closed her eyes against the fabric of Kara's coat. "I just don't know if it's enough."

"It's not."

"Remember what you promised me?"

Kara stiffened but kept her arm around Lena. "Yeah," she choked out.

Lena smiled, opening her eyes and moving slightly to be able to look up at Kara, admiring her jawline in the process. "I knew you were lying."

Following the admission was a series of coughs and snorts and unintelligible mumbling. Lena chuckled and removed herself from Kara's arm, watching her from the side as she fumbled for the appropriate reply. Good to know that Kara was still so easily unnerved. Lena had almost forgotten about it judging by the lack of _Kara_ -ness since they returned from Olympus.

In the end, Kara just gave up and sighed, petting Bench's head, who had scrambled out of from under the bench when he heard his mistress in trouble.

"You suck at lying."

Kara gasped, affronted. She straightened up and put her hand to her chest, an offended expression crossing her face. "Excuse me, my _decades_ in the mortal realm as a human beg to differ."

"That's because you never had any encounter that required you to lie about your true being," Lena easily retorted, raising a brow to dare Kara to refute that.

Kara was quiet for a bit, and then she harrumphed, deliberately putting some distance between her and Lena. "Stop being so smart!" she demanded.

Lena just laughed and leaned towards Kara, searching for her lips. And the blonde willingly offered it up, fusing their mouths together. It was short and chaste, but she wouldn't want anything else in this setting. When she drew back, she rested their foreheads together, closing her eyes and one hand lifting to cup the woman's cheek.

"Don't do anything rash when I'm gone, okay?" she asked. "And don't lie to me."

Kara sighed and reached out to link their fingers together. This time, when Lena opened her eyes, the blonde was already staring at her, committed and genuine, also searching. Maybe not searching; _remembering_. Lena was certain that she had been doing that since the time they had the chance to wake up in the same bed.

"Okay," Kara whispered.

The rest of the evening, they spent watching Bench prance around chasing a stray bird or two after they released him from the leash. Until midnight came and they returned home, where Lex was sleeping on the couch and everyone else had occupied the guest rooms. After all the exit and entries were safely locked, they left Bench on top of Lex's chest.

And then they forgot about everything else but each other in the bedroom.

* * *

The series of thunders woke them up. It was bright – the sun had risen. But the thunders didn't ceased. Lena unwrapped herself from the pillow and saw Kara staring out the window. She turned around, a grave look on her face.

"It's started."

* * *

 **i am pretty certain that next chapter will be the final chapter, and then the epilogue - if i ever get myself to write one. i still haven't finished dealing with the whole exchange thing so it might put things back a little, please bear with me.**

 **also, guys, i've made a ko-fi account, you can find the button on my tumblr, which is overcanary. you are under no obligation to donate! but you know, i'd like to make some extra cash, and if you like my writing so far and would like to show me some support, don't hesitate to donate! i'll really enjoy that cup of latte. :)**


	26. i'd find you and i'd choose you

**and this is it. the end of the journey. phew, it's a long one, and i tried my best to give you the best ending i can think of. of course, because i'm me, there's a little angst too, but i promise there's a happy ending.**

 **thank you, everyone, for your unrelenting support and your constant words of kindness. i really do appreciate them. and i wanna apologize for any inaccuracies, but like i said, i'm not focusing on greek myth but incorporating greek myth into my own supercorp context. i hope you will like this ending!**

 **now, read, ponder, and enjoy!**

* * *

As much as Kara hated it, Lillian was an incredibly intimidating individual. She had that poise, regal and unafraid, eyes seemed to always follow her target without even needing to move. Plus, those lips of hers seemed constantly tugged into a smirk, and not the attractive kind.

When Kara first saw her, she was a little taken aback. Lena had told her that the woman wasn't her birth mother. But if she had never mentioned it, anyone would have thought that Lillian had actually given birth to the hellhound. The resemblance was striking, except for the fact that the mother lacked the kindness and gentleness that Lena always carried. The one place that Lena resembled her stepmother the most was in those eyes – piercing and enigmatic.

Lena wasn't with her, because they had already planned it out earlier before Lex had shown up. Remembering all of the palace's ins and outs, Kara had managed to draw a rough outline on a piece of paper and Diana had proceeded to post everyone at different strategic positions to ensure that there would be as little surprises as possible. And unfortunately for Kara, Lena had chosen to go somewhere else all on her own despite protests. Lex showing up had naturalized him as her partner, but Kara would have preferred it if it was her.

Kara shared a look with her sister, and when the redhead nodded, she took it as permission. She stepped forward, confronting Lillian, who was oddly calm and seemed the least bit concerned that her coup was under way.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she bellowed, her face twisted into anger. Her hands were twitching and her legs just wanted to rush forward so she could strangle the woman.

"Taking down a tyrant," Lillian offered casually.

A particularly loud boom echoed above them, accompanying a streak of forked lightning. Zeus was getting angrier, judging by the increasing volume of the weather. Sooner or later, there would be a torrential downpour.

"Killing your daughter," she retorted.

Lillian's eyes widened a little. Good. But apart from that, there wasn't anything else. "I'm saving her. You are going to help me." She then seemed to have noticed something and pushed away from the pillar she was leaning against. At her movement, hordes of army emerged from both of her sides to flank her. "Where _is_ my daughter?"

"She knew we'd be able to delay you if we're apart," Kara said, albeit bitterly.

"Zeus would have noticed her."

"He already _knew_ ," Kara sneered.

This time, her words took Lillian so off guard that her smirk disappeared and her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened to proportional levels.

The blonde heaved a humorless chuckle, shaking her head. She wished they had more time. She wished that Lillian and Hera could just give them more time. Let them have another morning together. Another afternoon. Another night. And another and another and another and another. She wished that it wouldn't have happened at all.

When she woke up to the thunders, she knew immediately that it was her father. And for a moment, she had been frozen in bed, arm tightening around Lena, like she wouldn't have to let go if she did that. Only then her father had to yell so loud that his voice echoed amongst the lightning, calling for her.

She should have kissed Lena longer before she stepped through the portal.

"Your daughter was so _afraid_ of what you're doing that she decided the best way to stop you is to talk to my father," Kara started. "She told him everything. _Everything_."

"That cannot be," Lillian whispered in horror.

Kara raised her brows. She would have got into the woman's face if Alex _and_ Sam hadn't held her back. "Really? You really didn't think that Lena would go to that extent?" She shrugged them off and extended her arm in the arm. "She _hated_ the mortal realm, but she went anyway for her brother. She fought in the war and almost lost her life, risking detection from my father. You really didn't think that she'd go to my father when the life of everyone she loves is at risk?"

Lillian was positively fuming at this point; the vein in her forehead throbbing dangerously and her jaw clenched tightly. Her usually calm and deceitful eyes were swirling with unrestrained fury and definitely attempt to murder.

"I am doing all this for her!" Lillian roared.

"You just want the power!" Kara yelled back. "And you're willing to use your own daughter to do it!"

"No. My daughter has been hiding her whole life because of the man in there who calls himself the creator of the universe." Lillian swung her arm in the direction of the palace. "I don't want that for her. I want her to be able to unleash her full potential without being afraid. _I love her_. That's why I planned this."

"You have a sick way of showing your love for her," Kara snapped. "Berating her whenever she's near you. Emotionally abusing her for being a product of a dalliance that she wasn't even responsible for. Undermining her every chance you get because you wanted Lex to be the better one. Planting a bomb in her office. Setting fire to a building she was in. Putting her in the middle of coup when all she wanted was peace and quiet!"

"I was _toughening_ her up!"

"She was _already_ tough!" Kara blew up, leaping into the air and feeling her own pupils burn with the sheer strength she was trying very hard to hold in. She had hoped that maybe talking to Lillian could inspire her to call all of it off, but it seemed to just be a daydream. "Lena told me you're smart. But now, looking at you, I think you're the blindest of them all. And now, because of you, Lena is going to die, but I'm not going to let it be in vain. I will not allow you to use _either of us_."

Lillian shook with rage for a moment longer before she calmed herself, masking her rage with that smirk one more time, like what happened a few seconds ago had never happened. "Don't you worry, Goddess of Cherish. You'll see my way soon, as will my daughter. And if that imbecile thinks he can just kill her, he's got another thing coming," the demon announced. And then she raised her hand in the air and flicked it forward, ordering her army, "Block them, but keep the blonde one alive."

Roaring calls echoed along with the thunder and Lillian melted into the mess as the army surged forward. Kara instantly dropped to her feet and swung her arms to throw two of them back. Her sister had brandished her precious sword and started slashing. Kara was never one for weapons, so she used pure strength and the heat vision that she had kept locked up since she left Olympus to eliminate all that came for them.

"I missed you in that suit!" Alex yelled over grunts and growls as she slashed and slashed, not letting any of the subpar demons to lay a hand on her.

Kara laughed, turning left and swiping her leg to topple a demon before kicking him up in the air and launching him towards another array that was rushing towards her. "I kind of missed wearing it."

"Oh no, you don't," Alex grumbled lowly, and when Kara swung around, her sister had already skewered three demons with her sword. With a sickening squelch, she shook the bodies off the weapon. "Has Lena seen it?"

"She was gone before I could show her," Kara muttered bitterly, ducking under the redhead's outstretched arm and planting her foot into an approaching demon's stomach to send him catapulting with his comrades.

"Well, good for you or your father would probably actually be dead."

Kara was offering her best right hook while sputtering to her sister's words. "We are two reasonable people!" she exclaimed, starting to pant as she seemed to be getting rid of her 100th demon – and the army wasn't thinning the least bit.

"You also haven't gotten laid in a long time before Lena jumped you," Alex replied easily, staggering backwards at an unexpected shove from a random demon. The sisters stood back to back, breathing in a labored way that they just were not used to. "There's too many of them," her sister gasped.

The blonde hummed in agreement. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and harnessed all the power in her. When she opened them, she was glaring inferno, going in a circle to burn holes into all those demons. Hades would forgive her. Eventually, she couldn't do it anymore and she collapsed to a kneel, panting heavier than she ever had before. In her blurry vision, there were still a few stragglers, but they were running away as soon as they made eye contact with her.

Well, at least it got the job done, even though she felt like she could sleep for days. She should have trained more. The last time she did this, it was during the war, and Ares and Alex had trained her a lot before then, so she didn't feel as exhausted as she did now. After decades of inactivity, it shouldn't even be a surprise that she got tired so easily.

The entrance of the palace was finally in sight, but Lillian was nowhere to be seen. She could hear similar war cries as the demons had done before on the other side of the palace – Hades, Persephone, and Sam were stationed there. She would have helped, except she kind of couldn't even fly at the moment.

Two arms wrapped around her to hoist her up to feet and put one of her arms around Alex's shoulders. And then they made their way towards the entrance with Alex supporting half her weight.

"You shouldn't have done that," Alex chastised.

"There were too many of them," Kara defended weakly. When she almost fell down the steps, Alex made a noise of protest and forced her to sit down. "No, no, I have to go help Lena," she protested, eyes drifting shut.

Alex was quiet for a moment before she said, "She's not in there yet," the redhead reassured. "Your father and stepmother are still having their couples' spat. Honestly, sometimes, he just needs to shut up."

Kara chuckled – it came out thin and like she was wheezing. "I thought he's your Almighty One."

"Lena's a friend," her sister simply said. Slowly, Kara opened her eyes to stare at the woman in disbelief. Alex sighed, shrugging. "She loves you enough to put herself on this suicide mission to stop her mother. That's a plus in my books."

"I love you," Kara said, mustering a smile at her sister.

Alex smiled. "I love you too." She sat down next to the blonde and pulled her into her arms. "Take two minutes to recuperate. And then we'll continue this reckless war."

* * *

They were just dashing into the throne room when her father's voice rang out, " _That_ is an abomination!"

Kara skidded to a halt, her anger rising when she realized he was talking about Lena, who was – for some godforsaken reason – crouching defensively in front of Hera.

Before they could notice her and Alex, the two of them ducked into a dark space and squatted their way towards where their side was supposed to be on, though she swore this would be the last time she helped her father in a feckless attempt to remain in power. And then they came out into the light, Kara ignoring her father in favor of Lena, who, clearer in close distance, had matted hairs and a slight hunch in her hind legs due to oozing wounds – battle scars, more of them.

Noticing her presence, Zeus transferred his antagonism towards his wife and her partner in crime to his daughter, sneering, "You _dare_ send this _thing_ to defend me."

Kara would yell. She would put her hands on him and topple him over, perhaps send his throne far, far away. Or she would have, if she wasn't so worried about Lena. Lena, who had been so confident to want to go into the war alone, using the excuse that she didn't want to be a burden. Lena, who, apparently, was not able to fight off an entire army despite her strength. Lena, who was currently standing in front of the god who inarguably hated her the most and still resolute in her mission that she pretended to not hear his scathing remark.

At this moment, Kara just wished Lena wasn't so noble.

"We did not send her," Alex piped up, standing protectively over Lena and Kara. "As you have always endeavored to remind us, we did not think you would need protection at all."

Kara hid a smile and met Lena's grateful eyes. She definitely didn't miss the way those green orbs traveled over her body, and she probably shouldn't feel pleased right now, but the admiration Lena carried was very flattering, in spite of the circumstances. One of her hands brushed over a wound accidentally and Lena flinched back, though she did not yelp.

That flattery vanished in an instance. "I'm sorry," Kara whispered, wanting to rest her head on Lena's body and take the pain away.

 _You look good_.

Kara lifted her head, eyes wide. That sounded incredibly like the hellhound's voice, but the hellhound was…a _hellhound_. She blinked rapidly.

 _You should study more on hellhounds, Kara_ , Lena said in her head.

Unable to help herself, the blonde heaved a quiet laugh and keeled forward to press a long kiss on the top of Lena's head.

"So disrespectful," Hera finally spoke for the first time since she and her sister entered. "Not only are you an incompetent ruler, husband, you are an incompetent father as well. Look at the daughter you raised. In the presence of the queen of gods and did not even bother to offer a greeting."

Zeus fumed, failing to form words at his wife's verbal assault and the actual presence of a hellhound in his palace. He clenched his jaw and turned to Hera.

"I have been nothing but kind to you," he seethed.

Hera threw her head back and laughed. She actually found his words funny. Kara shared confused looks with Alex and Lena, witnessing Zeus carrying the same expression as well. Eventually. Hera sobered up and wiped at the edges of her eyes, shaking her head. And then the grin dissolved into a smile dissolved into a scowl as she shot a piercing glare at her husband.

" _Kind_ to me?" It sounded toxic, disbelieving. "You _violated_ me." The woman's eyes were brimming with moisture. "I refused your proposition and you disguised yourself to violate me, your _sister_."

Kara's eyes widened.

 _Fuck_ , Lena's voice echoed in her head.

"I _loved_ you! I _still_ do!" Zeus roared in return. He would have tripped over Lena to get to Hera if it wasn't for Kara's agility to pull Lena aside, apologizing in her head for being careless about her wounds.

"Don't you dare spout declarations of love when you have had numerous instances of infidelity!" Hera screeched. "You claimed to love me, and yet the second I married you, you were off galloping to Greece and proclaiming your love to so many other women! In all honesty, I did not mind it that much, because they kept you away from my chambers. However, not only are you a terrible husband, you are also a dreadful father and ruler. Your son waged war years ago because you failed to love him. And you put all of your people in jeopardy, risking extinction, because of your pride. What is more? You created an army of women and you bedded your own _creation_. I am disgusted and I have had enough of _you_ wielding your power over us only because you killed our father."

"Do you truly hate me that much?"

Hera rolled her eyes. "I _abhor_ you, husband."

"Oh, I have wanted to hear those words from your mouth for eons, sister," Hades' voice echoed across the hall as he showed up with his wife and Sam.

Kara narrowed her eyes when swarms of demon emerged from various corners, apparently having followed all of them who had slipped past. When Hera raised her hand in the air quietly, the army stopped, forming a loose circle around them and ready to launch as soon as Hera gave her order. But Hera slowly lowered her hand and cast them a furtive glance. Like she was looking for something, and when she didn't find it, she turned back to her husband.

On her feet now but keeping a close distance with Lena, she questioned, "Where is Lillian?"

Hera smirked. "Protecting her daughter."

From beside her, the hellhound bristled, nostrils flaring.

The queen gave the two of them a onceover, her appreciation increasing as she sensed their combined strength in the air. "Ah yes, I can see why Lillian was so insistent on her daughter being a part of this," she said with a delightful chuckle. "Initially, I just wanted to bring you in. I was sure that with your hatred for your dear father right here, you would have been amicable."

"You were there when I said I never wanted to come back again."

"Yes, yes, I was, wasn't I?" Hera waved her hand in the air in dismissal. "The Fates brought that to my attention. But I thought I could…persuade you, had you refused." It took her a moment, but she realized that Hera was talking about mind manipulation, one of the powers she had been blessed with. "With you and me and the Fates, I was certain that we could have easily usurped this bastard's throne."

Speaking of the Fates, "Where are they?"

"Oh, I discovered that they have betrayed me."

Her blood froze over under her skin. Quickly, she exchanged a look with Lena. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice low and sharp.

"It would be best for you to not know, dearest. After all, I am not certain even you can withstand the pain," Hera replied with a sharp chuckle.

She leaped to her feet and swooped forward to push her back, so hard that they toppled over and Hera was on her back with Kara on top of her, debris spreading around from the course of their crash. She snarled in the woman's face, " _What. Did. You. Do?_ "

 _Kara_ , Lena's voice echoed warningly in her head.

The blonde clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on Hera's gown, pulling her up and then crashing her back down. There was a slight satisfaction when Hera released a tiny groan. It wasn't much, but it proved that Kara could still hurt her. Maybe they were right; maybe combined with Lena, they would have been able to take over the world.

Cat may have lied to her, yes. She was still angry with the older woman, yes. The betrayal she had felt hadn't dissipated, yes.

But Cat Grant was still her mentor, Fate or not. Cat had taken her friendship with Kara's mother to heart and made good on her word. And despite Kara's confidence in being able to take care of herself in the mortal realm, she was certain that Cat had something to do with easing it for her, however much she could. Cat was more her mother than her own biological mother.

She had never met the Fates, but they were important to Cat. Carter was also innocent in all of this, even though he might still be oblivious to the fact that he was practically half-god, the product of one of the most powerful trio in the entire universe. And there was no way in hell she would let them become further collateral damage than they already had because of two women's greed and disability to forgive.

"I won't ask you again: what did you do to them?"

 _Kara, no_.

Hera watched as Kara faltered at Lena's voice. Confusion at first, and then delight. "So it is true," she exclaimed gleefully, straining to catch a glance at Lena. "She can speak into your minds. Oh, this is wonderful."

Kara frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The queen of Olympus smirked, one brow ticked. Only for a second, because after that, the smirk disappeared and an entirely different – ferocious – look took over. And then Kara found herself being pushed off by an invisible force, hurtled back towards the throne, toppling it over, and slammed against the wall behind.

"Kara!" Alex cried. Lena sounded worried with her unintelligible mutterings.

Kara groaned, not used to the soreness spreading over her back. Her head was throbbing and it felt like she was only seeing half an Alex as the redhead sprinted towards her. Lena was right behind, bounding over the steps despite the wound that was sure to be spreading wider with her drastic movements.

But before she could make it to Kara, she froze. Vision having cleared, the blonde frowned at the hellhound; at those once intelligent but tired eyes glazing over in an instance – like there was nothing in the body. Kara stood up with Alex's help, still staring at Lena carefully.

"Lena?" she called gently.

The hellhound gave no response, just standing over the steps, as if waiting for further instructions.

"Lena, hey," Lex called out to his little sister.

"She cannot hear you," Lillian's voice joined in. "Or, well, she can, but she just…cannot respond."

Kara's eyes rose to fall over Lillian who was standing by Hera's side, holding a device that looked suspiciously like the Air Maker Lena had lost days ago. Just as she wanted to say something, a commotion sounded at the entrance, and then Diana came rushing in with Steve and Kal. Kara would question her cousin's presence, but she kind of didn't have the time for that.

"What –"

"I refashioned the device a little bit," Lillian cut in, waving the Air Maker in the air. "Hellhounds have naturally strong minds with their abilities to read and penetrate others'. But with a little tinker and some shortcut, it can be rather easy to do it the other way around. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get her in control for as long as I have known her and Her Majesty here is not powerful enough to do it on her own." Hera bristled at the idea of being weak, but Lillian plowed on. "But thankfully, when Lena announced the Air Maker, I knew what I could do to make this happen. I only had to switch a few parts and rewired some mechanisms – other than that, she did all the hard work, really."

"Mother," Lex said warningly.

Like she was seeing him for the first time, she was delighted at the sight of her son, which quickly turned into disappointment. "Oh Lex, I wish you hadn't drank the Lethe waters. We could have accomplished this much faster."

"I would have never participated in this madness."

"This is for the greater good."

"Hurting your _daughter_?" he bellowed.

"In exchange for her _safety_!"

The demon shook his head, stepping away from the group to take minute steps towards the duo. "Mother, you do not want to do this. Put it down." Lillian stubbornly gripped harder onto the device. "We do not need another war, mother! Have you forgotten what she went through during the last one?"

"She should have stayed away from it."

"You and I both know Lena too well to know she would never have." Lex took a deep breath, shaking his head. "The war – the injuries she suffered from it – had already weakened her enough. She hadn't three quarters of the strength she used to possess. She would not be able to sustain this."

"She is still strong enough if worked together with the goddess."

Lex threw a look at Kara, who was all the more confused at the revelation. If Lena didn't have the same strength she had before the war, exactly how strong did she used to be?

He looked back to his mother, lifting placating hands. "You may be able to control Lena's mind, but you still cannot control Kara."

"No, but she has a weakness," Hera butted in, smiling sinisterly. "Don't you, dearest?" she directed it at Kara.

Since they had told her about the refashioned device, the blonde already had an inkling of what they were going to do. There was no way they would have gotten her to comply now that Kara knew about all their tricks, but the device was something she hadn't thought about. And maybe Lena hadn't too, or she would have come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible.

But she had gotten distracted by hope and confusion. Hoping that Lex would be able to talk his mother down. Confused about the true extent of the powerful being that Lena was supposed to be.

And now, it was too late.

She watched in horror as Lena started trashing her own body down the steps by jumping up and collapsing down intentionally. There was a whimper, but the hellhound didn't seem to care as she stood back up and snarled at Kara before hurtling towards a pillar, knocking against it so hard that it broke into halves and Lena pushed through it, landing into a dark corner.

"No, Lena!" She ran towards the hellhound, holding her in her arms to try and stop her from doing anything to hurt herself.

"She cannot hear you!" Hera bellowed smugly. "I am certain she is strong, but as Lex had mentioned, she is not as strong. Eventually, she will induce sufficient damage that nothing can save her. Do you really want that to happen?"

"Help me!" Kara cried out to literally anyone.

And instantly, Lex, Hades, and Diana showed up at her side, covering the two of them with their bodies to try to contain the continuously trashing Lena. On the other hand, Alex, Sam, Persephone, and Steve forced on distracting Hera, knowing that she was the one doing this with the help of the device. Except they couldn't even reach the two of them, because another horde of army had rushed in through all possible entrances, surrounding them.

Compelled simply by whatever instructions that Hera was sending to her head, Lena managed to squirrel out of Kara's arm and leaped out of the huddle to send herself into the army, pretty much handing herself out to more slashes and punches and kicks – injuries she couldn't afford.

"Any second now, Kara," Hera lilted over the roaring crowd, emphasized by thunders and shouts and groans.

Kara wanted desperately the confidence that she would be able to find Lena among the armies, but she knew that even with all of them together, it would be in vain. She shared a quick apologetic look with her companions, to which they all reluctantly nodded grimly, before she stood up.

"Alright, okay!" she shouted. "I'll do what you want!"

As if she had just said the magic words, which she pretty much did, the armies stopped attacking and retreated, revealing all the others panting and injured here and there. Really, even the most powerful of gods wouldn't be able to handle that level of manpower. In the middle of it all was Lena, lying on her side and panting in pain, but her gaze was still empty, waiting for further instructions.

A few drops trickled down Kara's cheeks as she stumbled over to the hellhound, kneeling down and whispering comforting words that Lena couldn't hear. She lowered her head and pressed a hard kiss to Lena's head before turning and facing the two women.

"I can do it alone."

Lillian scoffed. "No, you can't."

And then Lena, like the pain was nothing, stood up, stumbled a few steps, and faced Zeus.

"You'll do it together."

"She's too weak!"

"She is strong!"

Kara glared at the two women. "I am going to kill _both_ of you," she snarled; she would make good on that promise. She didn't give them a chance to answer and turned back to Lena again, cupping her head in her hands and running her fingers over dark hair. "Please, please, I know you're in there. Please don't give up on me. Please," she whispered. "I love you." When she stood up to face her father, he was looking at her with an expression of betrayal. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

And for the first time, she truly was.

It had seemed like hours. But then again, decades spent in the mortal realm could make it difficult to acclimatize to the way time worked here in Olympus. There was no grasping it, but Zeus was still powerful, and with every zap he sent and every yelp that sounded from it, Kara was more determined than ever that she had to do this.

The others would have helped, she was sure, but she knew this was only something only she and Lena could do. They were simply either too old, too weak, or too innocent to get involved. This was between her, Lena, her father, her stepmother, and the stepmother of the love of her life. She wasn't kidding when she said she would do anything to make sure Lena survived, so it was full power or nothing.

Eventually, Zeus had exhausted himself and finally fell – literally – when Lena ignored her pain and leaped onto Zeus, pushing him down. Kara wanted to fall onto her knees, hoping that this would be over now. He was defeated. He was weak. Anyone could kill him now. The hellhound stepped off her father's chest, panting and falling onto her side, succumbing to the injuries that she had sustained from the continuous attacks.

Kara crawled over to Lena, fighting her own exhaustion, to look at her. This time, when she looked into green eyes, they were conscious and aware and oh, so painful. Kara heaved a choking sob and buried her face into mounds of hair, wetting them with her own tears. In her mind, she apologized over and over again.

 _It's not your fault, Kara_ , Lena said to her. _I really want to sleep._

Kara lifted her head and moved to look into Lena's eyes again. "You stay awake, you hear me? You do not get to sleep," she commanded in harsh whispers. "You do not get to leave me." Lena's pants hitched, like she was chuckling. Taking that as an agreement, Kara turned her gaze towards Hera and Lillian. "It's over. He's down. You can do whatever you want."

"Indeed." The two women shared a look. Hera opened her mouth but then her eyes widened a fraction and it was like she was choking on her words. Next to her, Lillian seemed to be suffering the same thing.

"This stops now," Cat's strangled voice rang out.

And sure enough, at the entrance stood the three women that they had only ever heard about but did not get to see. Cat and her sisters hauling what was literally the Wheel of Fortune into the room, the three of them looking worse for wear. Cat shot her a reassuring look, a string firmly in her grasp, while another woman, a brunette, held another, and the other, a redhead, was spinning the wheel.

"Just because we do not dabble with your fates does not mean we cannot, Your Majesty," Cat announced. "We can easily take your life at this moment."

"Carter is in safe hands now," the brunette added. "We made sure of it."

"We have spent so long being threatened by you and your minions," the redhead said. "No more."

Cat toyed with the string. She had always been nonchalant, as if nothing could scare or piss her off. But this time, she looked royally pissed off. "For too long, we were in hiding, caring about our business and doing our jobs. And you decided to come in and _order_ us, blackmailing us with my _son_. That is low even for you, Hera." She released the string, which her sister did as well. "But we will not kill you. That is for them to decide." She then pointed in Kara and Lena's direction.

Kara was all too relieved that her mentor was safe, until she realized what she had to do. She turned to her father who seemed relaxed that he was alive for another day. Coward. And then she turned to Lena, whose body had transformed back into human form, something she hadn't noticed in the event of the Fates showing up.

Her eyes were slipping close, and Kara could see the exhaustion that Lena couldn't fight off anymore. In that instance, she forgot about everyone else and everything else but the woman fighting for her life.

"Hey, Lena," Kara whispered, tapping the woman's cheek gently to ensure her wakefulness. "Look at me, honey. Just focus on me."

Lena smiled at the blonde. "Kara," she heaved, threaded and hanging onto dear life. "Kara."

Viciously shaking her head, Kara leaned further down so their foreheads could rest together. "No, don't you dare."

Lena swallowed and tried to move, but it was obvious that she couldn't, judging by the wince and the soundless groan. "I don't want to –" She swallowed again, her eyes still smiling despite the wet sheen that had appeared. "Let me stay, please."

"You're staying. You're staying. You're staying." She whipped her head up and glared at her father. "She is staying!" she bellowed, ignoring his advances and telling him that she wouldn't mind kicking his ass again if he made any move against Lena. "You're gonna be okay, you hear me? You'll be safe. We'll go home. We'll play with Bench. We'll be happy. You and I, we will be very happy together. I'm gonna make sure of it," she told Lena and then raised her head to meet her sister's eyes. "Help me, please," she sobbed.

Together, Alex and Persephone hurried towards them. Kara watched as Persephone ran her hands a breadth away from Lena's skin while Alex touched the woman's neck gently with two fingers. All she could do was hold onto Lena's hand, tight and relentless, squeezing it every few seconds to make sure Lena keep her eyes open.

"You can't sleep, okay? Please don't sleep."

Lena frowned slightly, gulping to stave away the ache that Kara was sure was burning fire into her very core. "I am – I am really glad…to have…met you, Kara." She smiled.

"She cannot hold on much longer. She needs to be home," Persephone announced.

"Okay, okay," Kara said, nodding, about to let go of Lena's hand to carry her, only to be stopped when Lena didn't let go. "Lena, we need to –"

"I love you."

Her vision had never been so blurry and her brain had never been so heavy. All exhalations came out shaky and stuttered and she didn't know how to stop the tears from flowing so she could see Lena clearly. Blinking rapidly to clear away some of the moisture, Kara nodded in acceptance and moved to kiss the woman.

"Remember what you promised me," Lena mumbled against her lips.

When Kara drew back, Lena's eyes were closed. Kara stared for a long moment, jostling Lena a little in hopes that she'd wake back up. But there was nothing.

Lena didn't wake up.

* * *

"Ponytail!"

A blonde head lifted from the keyboard to glance at the office door, where Snapper Carr was standing with a scowl on his face. If the scar was ever gone, it was probably the end of the world. Kara mustered a sheepish smile at him and stood up.

"Yes?"

He scowled at her a little longer, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence. And then he sighed. "Go home. You're no good here. I'm giving you the week off. Consider it a reward for you busting your ass over the past month." Kara was about to protest when he held up a hand that was also grasping a few sheets of paper. "Tessa can handle the rest of your paperwork. Go home. When you come back, I want to see a fresh-faced Kara Danvers." He gave a curt nod and then left.

She stared at the empty doorway and then glanced down at her laptop screen. On it was a long sentence of gibberish – the aftereffect of her impromptu nap. Maybe he was right. She needed the rest. So she shut down her laptop, gathered her stuff into her backpack, and walked out the door. Before she left the building, she made sure to say goodbye to James in the office he had taken over two years ago.

As Kara waited for her Uber, she couldn't help but miss the presence of Cat Grant in the office. But she knew that after having Kara know her identity, there was no point of Cat staying here. When she left, she made sure that Kara knew it didn't mean the help stopped there.

" _My sisters and I have done all we can with your father, your stepmother, and Lillian for now. Hera and Lillian are imprisoned and I cannot imagine them breaking out anytime soon. And we imagine that given how much your father appreciates his life than the idea of a hellhound on the loose, he would not be pulling anything drastic either. But that does not mean you cannot look to me for further assistance any longer. I owe you a debt and it cannot be repaid easily._ "

The Uber she had ordered pulled over and she got in.

It had been three years since the war that almost tilted the universe's balance. Her father was still on the throne, but the Fates had decided that his tyranny had gone on long enough and he needed to be kept in check, so they had given him an ultimatum, to which he, of course, tilted the way that favored him the most. His first order of business was to imprison his wife and her accomplice.

Mon-El and the armies of demons had been persecuted, forever destined to suffer ten thousand lashes every day. Never let it be said that Hades took betrayal easily.

Her sister, well, had finally decided that Olympus was no longer home, making the choice to join Kara among the mortal realm. It didn't take her long to acclimatize to the environment here, given the time she had spent here during the ordeal. Funnily enough, Sam had been granted permission to come to this realm as well, and the two of them might as well be married at this point.

Kara was happy for them, she really was. She had never seen Alex so happy. And to think, the redhead used to carry such disdain for demons. Now, she was having the time of her life, never tired of proclaiming her love for one.

But sometimes, watching her sister with Sam could be too much. It reminded her of how lonely she was. The only time she wasn't lonely was in her dreams, but that was only if she was lucky.

Lex Luthor was sitting on a bench outside her apartment building, drinking a cup of cheap coffee from the diner down the street. She paid the driver, got out, and sat down next to him, taking the other cup that he proffered.

The Luthor empire was now entirely under Lex's control, who had chosen to stay with Lana for as long as she lived. She took to his demon state like fish to water, claiming that he was still the man she loved, regardless of his biology. Before the official launch of the Air Maker, he had sure that it was a close-ended system, ensuring that nobody could tamper with it. And if anybody did, he would know of it.

"Still waiting?" he finally asked, watching at an elderly couple bickering across the street with amusement.

She allowed the now cold coffee to slide down her throat and nodded. "Always."

He inclined his head. "We have time."

"As long as it takes."

Then he looked up at her, scrutinizing her features. She kept it stony, unrelenting, despite the constant dribble in the cracks of her heart that would never be repaired until she received the news she needed. She had asked Hades to not come to her until then.

"You know, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want us to wait," he said slowly. Nowadays, there was no way of knowing what would tick Kara off in any conversation involving _her_.

She clenched her jaw. "Well, she's not here, is she?"

It took him a moment, and then he just said, "Yeah."

They people-watched a little longer before he stood up, tossing the coffee cup into a trash can and adjusting his coat lapels as he turned to her. "I'll see you." He waited for her response in the form of a nod and then left.

She stood up as well, discarding the still full coffee cup, and went up to her apartment. She fed Bench and then clipped on his leash to take him out on a walk after his meal. She brought him to his favorite park, the one he once called home – the one where they found him. After three years, he had grown into a mid-size dog, though still containable in her apartment. He could still be naughty once in awhile, but no one could ever really control him except _her_ , and she wasn't here.

Kara wished she could see him grow up.

When Lena didn't wake up, Kara was sure of it – sure that it was over and there was no resuscitating her. She wasn't the least bit prepared for the life ahead, empty and grey. But then Persephone declared that Lena's essence remained, even though it was weak. And she said that Lena needed something more to be back home, where she belonged and could recuperate faster.

A temple of Asclepius, even further away than the mountain the Fates resided in. It was brimming with healing crystals and suited both gods and demons. But as Lena was also a hellhound, they still wasn't sure if it would work. And unfortunately, Asclepius had banned everyone from entering after Hippolytus tried to sneak in to kidnap one of his attendants, but Persephone knew one of them and he owed her a favor, so she could get Lena in.

The catch was that they weren't sure how long it would take for Lena to regain her essence in full, let alone if she would even wake up. The attendant friend of Persephone was grim when he saw the state Lena was in. It took Kara threatening to tear down the temple for him to agree to help, warning her that it would probably take a long time or maybe even never at all.

They had waited three years. But as Kara said, it would take as long as it took.

She was willing.

She missed Lena terribly. Sometimes, she would hear a lilting laugh around the corner and thought it was Lena, only to find someone else. She wished so badly to see her, but the Therapeutae of Asclepius had told her that Lena absolutely had to stay with them at all times for them to ensure her progress, and she was forbidden from entering. The fact that they let Lena in was a wrong in and of itself.

The only time she would ever see Lena was in her dreams. Lena would be smiling, and they would do so many things in her dreams. Dance, travel, eat, everything, as long as they were with each other. Maybe it was Lena sending her comfort in her coma, or maybe it was just Kara. She would take anything, really.

And then she would wake up and touch the empty space beside her.

She was snapped out of her reverie when Bench stopped in his trotting, rounding her legs and tugging on it when he couldn't reach further. She was already frozen, because in the midst of her distraction, she hadn't felt the presence. But now, she had. She could feel it like the first time three years ago – when she was awestruck by the sheer strength and rawness of it.

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. This was a dream.

Bench started barking and yelping happily, not relenting in his tugging. This was a dream.

She could taste the salt of the single tear trickling down her cheek. This was a dream.

"Kara." This was a dream.

And then there was a hand on her shoulder, gentle and static, just waiting for her to respond. This was a dream.

She dug her nails into her palms so deep that it hurt.

This was not a dream.

She whirled around. And there she was. Pale, almost translucent, gaunt, and skinny, but it was her. Lena was standing there with a gentle smile and a weak posture, like she was about to collapse anytime soon.

Hands shaking, Kara reached up to touch her, feeling the crevices of her cheeks and the juts of her jawline, more pronounced after three years, but still so much of Lena. She took in a shaky breath and took a step nearer, and another, and another, and then she swept Lena up in her arms, breathing in the unmistakable scent that made up Lena.

"You're here," she sobbed.

Fragile arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Yes, Kara, I'm here."

Kara buried her face deeper into Lena's neck, not wanting to let go. She would never let go again. "I've missed you."

"I'm sorry, darling."

This felt almost unreal. She was almost convinced that this was a dream again. But in her dreams, Lena had never felt so solid and so warm – so _there_. This was real. She drew back slightly, not letting Lena go entirely, but enough to see the woman's face.

"Please don't leave me again," she pleaded.

Lena shook her head, her eyes roving Kara's face as much as Kara did hers. "I won't, I promise."

Kara leaned forward, gingerly and carefully, but still making her destination by pressing their lips together. Lena eagerly kissed back. And yeah, this was not a dream.

"I'm never letting you go," she pronounced against Lena's lips.

"Okay, that's a promise."

* * *

 **eep!**

 **that's it. whew! can't believe it's been almost a year since the first chapter. i don't know about you guys, but it's been real. took almost half of my brainpower to come up with this.**

 **do you guys want an epilogue? i think i'm gonna write an epilogue.**

 **anyway, before i go, i just wanna let you know that i have created a kofi under the alias of _colenign_ , so if you guys like this fic and my other fics, maybe you could show me a little support by buying me a coffee? i could really use the cash.**

 **well, then, until next time.**


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